Noel Night
by Jaina Lusa Solo
Summary: Lily Evans and her best friend Rosalind are quite excited about the upcoming Christmas dance, although certain boys could do without being in the picture... until a certain one does a certain something... CHAPTER 13 FINALLY UP
1. The Dance

Noel Night  
  
Author's note: First and foremost, this is a fanfiction. All characters you know belong to Jo, and all characters you don't belong to Jaina, chiefly Rosalind. The story is narrated by Rosalind, who is Lily's best friend. It is December of the gang's final year at Hogwarts. I chose to call the dance the Noel Night because the Yule Ball is a Triwizard thing.  
  
  
  
And on we go.  
  
People can be really stupid, even at Hogwarts. Take the Noel Night for example. It's this big formal dance for the seventh years at Christmas, except that no one knows who is going with whom. And the reason is sickening and ridiculous: the so-called popular students haven't got their dates yet. All the other girls won't say "yes" to anyone until Sirius Black had got his date, and all the boys know it. They A.) don't want the embarrassment of a "no," thus being officially considered a sloppy second, or B.) know if they ask Black's girl, then they're gone. How? He's popular, funny, and can control the majority of the student population. I need hardly expand.  
  
Yet that Black has to be the most horrible boy at Hogwarts. He's the class clown, and all of his jokes became old and horrible after the first day of the first year. He hangs around (an understatement to say the least: try attached to the hip) with James Potter, the stuck-up quidditch prince, who somehow managed to make himself Head Boy, aside from acting the part of the school's biggest moron. Then there's Remus Lupin, who's quite the two-face. He seems nice and innocent, especially with the teachers. But if he really was that kind and sweet, he'd know to associate himself with better people. Lily says he reminds her of Eddy Haskell, but I have no clue who he is. The three of them are waited on by their horde of yes-men like Peter Pettigrew, boys who are so busy hero-worshipping Black and Potter, that they don't even bother to make friends with people in their own houses.  
  
All I have to say is thank God Potter has a date already. Everyone knows Potter is going to go with his girlfriend Veronica Engerton. They might as well be married. She's a Ravenclaw, but at mealtimes she goes over to the Gryffindor table and sits on Potter's lap. It's rather revolting. Then again, if it weren't for her, there would be double dating hysteria running amok among us. One popular boy was bad enough.  
  
Today, after Potions with Professor McShane, Winnie Frank asks me who I thought Sirius Black was going to ask to the dance.  
  
"Why do you even care?" I ask. "I'd say no if it was me. Besides, the lot hasn't said a word about the dance at all."  
  
"Exactly!" says Winnie, "But it's only six weeks away now, so that's really close! What do you reckon, Rosalind?"  
  
"I don't give at damn."  
  
Winnie walks off.  
  
"I think that was a little too harsh Ros," Lily tells me later.  
  
"Well, I meant it. I DON'T care."  
  
"You at LEAST could have said 'I don't know' or made up some name - one of Veronica's prostitute buddies- that would have worked. You'd even be right."  
  
Lily goes on lecturing me, half-agreeing, half-attempting-to-be- responsible. We seem to give each other the "be nice" lecture about once a week. It was hard. Some of the other kids call us swots and other stuff behind our backs, but I don't care. I had Lily and Lily had me. Besides, Lily is Head Girl, and I'm a Prefect, so we're not entirely worthless.  
  
As we walk into the Great Hall, I notice Veronica sitting on Potter's lap. Lily stares a bit. I poke her on the small of her back. She jumps, then we sit down.  
  
"What?" I ask her.  
  
"There's something between them," Lily says thoughtfully. Not her too. I DON'T need my best friend, the only other sane person in this entire school, to join the bandwagon of people analyzing the two and their social lives. It's as if the two were Hogwarts' own royal couple.  
  
I'm close to losing my temper, so I try to humor her, and be nice.  
  
"What makes you say that?" I say, but not all too kindly.  
  
"I don't think James is happy with her at all," she tells me in a concerned way.  
  
This is too much. "Not happy?" I say incredulously. "How could he not be happy? I'm willing to bet anything that she gives it to him whenever he wants her too. What more could a guy want?"  
  
"ROS!" Apparently Lily can't handle the truth. "I can't believe you just said that!"  
  
"Well, I did," I say smugly.  
  
"Have some tact, please."  
  
"Don't tell me you actually like that Potter," I say desparately.  
  
"He's not that bad, honest," Oh brother. "At the prefect meetings you know he's all business. I'd never have believed, but he does take that security stuff really seriously. And-"  
  
It was too much.  
  
"Lily?" I say, "I saw him yesterday, carrying a bag of dungbombs. I went up to him, you know what I ask? I ask him 'How many bloody dungbombs have you, anyway Potter?' You know what he tells me? A thousand! He got 'em all bloody wholesale! Who buys dungbombs wholesale? Who NEEDS to buy dungbombs wholesale?"  
  
Lily laughs. "I digress. He really bought a thousand dungbomgs?"  
  
"Ask him."  
  
She get and goes over to where Potter is sitting. I follow her.  
  
"James?" Lily asks. Veronica is still sitting on his lap. She gives Lily a nasty look.  
  
"Mmm?" Potter says. He's reasonably polite to her as opposed to the way he snaps at me. It's probably the Head Boy had better be nice to the Head Girl deal. If they didn't have to work together on so many projects, I doubt he'd be that nice.  
  
"Did you REALLY buy a thousand dungbombs?"  
  
Black, who is sitting near Potter starts laughing his head off. Potter just smiles. I swear that boy NEVER turns red. I would if Lily was laughing at me like that.  
  
"Yeah. I did," Potter looks her straight in the eye. "I only really need eight hundred sixty-two, but if I bought over a thousand, they cost less apiece. It turned out to be cheaper that way. So that's what I did."  
  
Lily just looks at him. Potter smiles sheepishly. Veronica kisses him. Potter seems to be annoyed with Lily, but she presses on anyway.  
  
"Why in God's name did you buy a thousand? What're you going to do, dungbomb the entire school."  
  
Potter smirks, "Wouldn't you like to know?"  
  
Oh God! I don't like that smirk AT ALL. He IS going to dungbomb the entire school!  
  
Lily says something that I don't catch. Potter tries to reply, but he's lost again in the realm of Veronica's lips. I am happy to see that Black is tapping his fingers, looking cross.  
  
Please r/r, more should be on the way. If you liked it, PLEASE check out and review my other stuff. 


	2. A Meeting

A/n sorry about that (and thanks to those who gave me a little rap in the rear to get typing- keep reviewing) so on we go! (it jumps right in from where the last chapter left off)  
  
We go back to our places and finish eating. We talk for a bit then go back to the common room to work and go to sleep. A normal end to a normal day.  
  
The next evening there's a prefect meeting. I go, as I am a prefect. Lily goes too. She was a prefect before she was Head Girl, but that doesn't matter as Potter has to come. I don't need to tell you he was never a prefect. But he's Head Boy, thus making him the chief prefect, which is quite ironic, as he hates us all.  
  
How he even became a prefect is the biggest mystery of all. For the last six years I've never seen him do work out of class, and he is always goofing off. I had to knock off twenty points for Gryffindor on the night before O.W.L.s for playing strip Exploding Snap. The memory still haunts me. It is also a prime example of why I hate him. He's not funny, he's just crass.  
  
Potter calls the meeting to order. He has a gavel, which is completely unnecessary. Not only has it never been used in the past, prefects don't need gavels. WE respect one another.  
  
Potter bangs the gavel onto the table. All of us jump. Really.  
  
"I'd like to call this meeting to order," he says. Like I had noted before: totally unnecessary. We are silent already.  
  
Lily's tuck sitting next to Potter at the head of the table. It's the Head Girl bit. The Head Girl and Boy are supposed to be equals, but Potter is a control freak. I'm always telling Lily to stop letting him do all the work, but Lily always says it makes her life easier. "Let them hate him, not me."  
  
"Professor Dumbledore had informed me that he will be unable to attend the meeting until later on in the evening. He has business at the ministry. He does wish that the meeting still be run." Potter begins. I can't believe Dumbledore left us alone with him.  
  
I'm not the only one who can't stand Potter, honest. A Ravenclaw Prefect and a Slytherin Prefect both have expressions of utter disgust on their faces.  
  
Just then the door opens. Severus Snape prowls into he room. He looked around for an empty chair. There are two. One is the Dumbledore's fancy chair. The other is to Potter's left. I see that Potter has a smirk on his face. I can tell he orchestrated this. Snape looks from the chair next to Potter to Dumbledore's chair and back again.  
  
Severus Snape has to be the only person in the school who stands up to Potter. He hates him and his whole group. I bet it's all jealousy. Snape really wanted to be Head Boy, and it was quite a shock to him when he found the title went to Mr. Quiddtich Prince. I'd be madder if it was me, and that's saying something. Despite the fact that I loathe him with every bone in his body, I do admire his social bravado. Lily did once ask me who I would prefer as Head Boy. I have not yet found a conclusion.  
  
Snape has, and makes his way to the Headmaster's chair.  
  
"Ah-ah-ah, that's for Professor Dumbledore," Potter says as if he's speaking to a three year old. Talk about tickling a sleeping dragon.  
  
"Well, I'm not sitting next to you," Snape insists.  
  
"I don't bite," Potter says jokingly.  
  
"But your friends do."  
  
I can't help but laugh at this comment. I expect Potter to say something, wise back, but he doesn't. Instead, he stares at Snape in a way I've never seen before, not easy-going at all.  
  
"Sit down Snape."  
  
He does. Next to Potter.  
  
"Right then…."  
  
Tonight we debate safety measures and the Dark Lord. I'm surprised to see that the Slythering prefects are very outspoken against the taking no action at all. My mum, who grew up during the time of Grindelwald always told me that students from Slytherin were Dark Arts Supporters. I'd always though that she was being prejudiced. I never had nay reason to believer her. It seems as if things are different now.  
  
Potter's reactions are the funniest. He's quite anti-dark arts but he knows well that new security will hinder his nightly fun in the woods. I hope he makes the right decision, but in the meantime I enjoy laughing at him.  
  
The subject goes around the room until 11:30. Dumbledore never comes at all. That's not a good sign. I would be exhausted but today is Wednesday, and Gryffondor has astronomy.  
  
Now, all the other prefects are gone except for Lily and Potter. I pick up my telescope and wait with Lily for Potter to leave.  
  
Thirty seconds pass. No one moves. Finally Potter makes an "after you" motion with his arm. Great. He wants to walk with us.  
  
"Let's go Lily," Maybe we can ditch him. I hurry out the door to go before Potter can chase us. Mr. Popular could do to walk alone periodically.  
  
SMACK! I fall to the floor and I hit my arm hard. It's not broken but I know it will bruise. At lest the weather's too cold to roll up your sleeves now.  
  
I look up to see what made me fall. I emit a groan when I do. It's Black and the rest of the James Potter fan club.  
  
"Watch it Perry."  
  
"You watch it Black."  
  
"And do get off the floor." I hate being bossed around, so I stay there. Black glares, hesitates, then steps over me. All his imbecile friends follow suit. I begin to wonder which was worse: being stepped on or bossed around by black. I need to pay them back sometime soon.  
  
"So, James," Remus Lupin asks him, "Did the meeting go well?"  
  
"Depends on who you are."  
  
"Ah." I don't want to know. I've a suspicion that Potter said "depends" meaning that it was bad because the meeting was a stalemate, but good because nothing has changed for them and whatever they do out there in the wood. Probably potions.  
  
Walking with those boys seems very awkward for everyone. For one, we all hate each other. The other reason is about what Lily and I are. If Black started talking out rule-breaking, I'd rat them out for sure. I don't think they have anything else to talk about.  
  
Black's will breaks after several minutes. He keeps stuttering over things he can't talk about. Like the next quidditch match (April) or badmouth McShane (my favorite teacher thank you).  
  
Finally, he chooses to bring up the subject of the Noël Night. Black asks innocently whether we've been asked yet. Laugh inwardly at his naïveté, and I know I will laugh out loud if I open my mouth. Lily however, is not rendered speechless.  
  
"No one has been asked yet, Black,: Lily says. "Though I can't imagine why…."  
  
Black shrugs, "no one's stopping them."  
  
"Ha!" I can't help myself.  
  
"What?"  
  
"So who are you going with?" Winnie owes me.  
  
"I haven't asked anyone, Perry."  
  
"Surely you must have some…" Winnie really owes me.  
  
"It sure as Hell isn't you, so I don't know why you care. And it's none of you business."  
  
"Just making sure black. Save you some public humiliation in case your potion-rotten brain decides you do want to ask me Black."  
  
Potter looks down at the ground. I bet he's trying to hide his laughter.  
  
* * *  
  
a/n That's all for now. I know this part was a little slow but the next installment heats things up. Will write more soon(er) I promise! Keep reviewing, and check out my other stuff and review that too, I'd like it 


	3. Revelations

The next morning I am assaulted by Winnie Frank the moment I step into the common room.  
  
"I heard you, you know," she gushes.  
  
"No I don't know, Winnie." And I don't. The only thing I can think of is that I found I got full marks on my astronomy test last night, and Winnie wouldn't care about that at all.  
  
"You walked with Sirius Black and his friends to Astronomy yesterday morning!" So I did. How invigorating.  
  
"And so what? It's not as if I had a choice in the matter. If I did I'd-"  
  
"Did he mention the dance?" Ah. So this is what good old Winnie wants. I should have known.  
  
"Well he did…" I say slowly, "and I asked him who he was going with, just for you."  
  
"REALLY? What did he-" Winnie is jumping up and down by this point. Pathetic.  
  
"He said it was none of my business. It isn't either." Winnie looks extremely put out by this. I enjoy her expression, and in a fit of cruelty, I decide to have a little fun with the matter. "Quite frankly, Winnie, if he hasn't asked anyone now, I highly doubt he's going to ask you, or anyone else."  
  
"That can't be true! It can't! Why wouldn't Sirius Black want a date?" Ooooh this is so much fun.  
  
I shrug. "Perhaps he is a homosexual."  
  
"Noooooo!" Winnie runs back towards the dormitory wailing. People stare. Winnie nearly knocks Lily off the spiral staircase as she runs up it.  
  
"What did you SAY to her Rosalind?" Lily nearly shrieks at me.  
  
"Not much," I say, "I merely suggested that perhaps Mr. Black does not date women, as he has not yet asked a date to Noël Night."  
  
"Oh, well that's not-" Lily realizes the meaning of what I have told her. "ROSALIND! I can't believe you said that! That wasn't very nice at all!"  
  
"It was quite funny, and it got a great reaction too."  
  
"I won't disagr- IT WAS NOT NICE! I mean it. It's something that Snape from Slytherin would say." That's below the belt, that is. I try to point out that I'm not that as bad as Snape, but Lily won't hear it.  
  
We quibble all the way through breakfast. As luck, or unluck, would have it, Black and his groupies decide to invade the seats near me. Lily is now giving me the "be nice" lecture, and I am ignoring every word of it. So instead, I decide to eavesdrop on Black. I notice he wears nice cologne, but that is all eclipsed by the fact that he would be eating exactly like this dog Lily's muggle neighbor has if he were not using a fork. He shovels it all in as if he's been starved in Azkaban. And it's not like Black needs any more food than he's already getting. Lily says he would be an American football player if he were a muggle.  
  
"James, you've got to do something, you can't keep putting it off. It'll be too late, and soon you'll be roped into doing something that you don't want to do." Black sounds somewhat annoyed. But not that annoyed. I've only seen the pair truly mad at each other once. It was last year, and I haven't the faintest idea why. They were both ripping mad, but apparently it was supposed to be a secret, so they couldn't scream at each other in the common room like normal people. Their poor lackey, Lupin, kept trying to get them back together, but Potter kept insisting that Lupin should be very angry with Black. It was quite funny, except nothing seemed right in school for the week that they were angry.  
  
"Don't worry about me, just-" Potter's voice is really low. "It's hard. Do your own thing, Sirius, you don't need to wait for me. I might as well not…"  
  
"But James, it's what you want to do, you've only said it a million times. And I have to wait for you. If I don't she'll think the deal is done." Potter groans. "Today. Stop being Mr. Nobility." Hah! Like he ever was.  
  
"Hullo Veronica." Joyous joy of joys. She sits herself on Potter's lap, kisses him on the cheek, and picks up one of his sausages with her fingers. Veronica puts the sausage in his mouth. He takes a bite. Potter puts his arm around her back. The position is not quite right, and his fingers are moving wildly. It has to be some sort of sign language because Black shakes his head in disgust after he finishes, and turns to the fat boy from Slytherin, who, like Veronica, really should be eating at his own table. The Slytherin says something, and Black grabs the last sausage off of Veronica's plate and gives to him before Veronica can get at it. He doesn't need any sausage that's for sure, but at least I don't have to watch that poor excuse for a female feed Potter.  
  
"So, Ros, what are you going to say to Winnie?" I jump. Oh, Lily has decided not to talk at me anymore, but rather to me.  
  
"Nothing. I doubt… you know," I almost said it right next to Black. That could be interesting, but I don't want a fight this early in the morning. "She'll get over it after."  
  
Lily just scowls.  
  
* * *  
  
After charms that day, I am pretty stressed. Not Ms. Lily Evans. She can do charms so well it really is disgusting. I tell her this, but Lily just says "potions" to me. That keeps me quiet. I am quite good in the class.  
  
Actually, we are walking to potions class. Veronica, Black and Potter are walking in back of us. I walk faster than normal. Wouldn't want to get in the way now would I? Some middle age woman walks by us and stands at the statue of the gargoyle that is in the hallway. I can tell immediately that she's going to see Dumbledore because the gargoyle is where the entrance to his office and quarters is. I've never been to Dumbledore's office actually. The only reason I know that is the entrance is because Lily saw Potter come out of the hole behind the gargoyle once, and she asked him where it went. Potter told her, and she told me. Ever since I've known about it being there, I've seen Potter or Black or that Slytherin boy who thinks he's a Gryffindor going or leaving there at least once a week. The only person I've never seen there is their friend Lupin, whom they are way too friendly with not to involve him in their evil plots. The funniest thing is that once I saw Lupin arguing with Black and Potter to let him get in trouble for once. I don't know what was worse, Lupin begging to get into trouble, or the fact that he has to ask permission from Black and Potter to do so. Odd.  
  
The middle aged woman taps her feet. I get a good look at her. She is one of those people who dresses as if it were half a century or so ago, except if she had lived half a century or so ago, she would dress as if she's living a half a century before that. Her hair is in one of those old-lady curly stick-out dos. Her hat actually has a feather sticking out of it, and her white-gloved hands are gripping an oversize Chinese-fireball purse. Her robes are white with big pink polka dots. I won't mention the makeup. Although I would never say anything, and am certainly not licensed to comment on what does and does not constitute fashion by a long shot, I must say she does look quite funny… even for a witch.  
  
For once in my lifetime, I think I agree with something Ms. Engerton has said. Do you know why I think this? Because even though she's a comfortable five meters in back of me, I can hear that she has the indecency to make snide remarks about the woman. She goes on to inform Potter and Black that women like this should not only not be allowed to quit their homes, but be able to take up valuable oxygen that should be given to "handsome and beautiful people like Sirius, and especially you, Jamesie." Gag me with a fork.  
  
I poke Lily and we turn around to snap at Veronica. To my utter disgust, I see that Black is convulsing with silent laughter, looking from Potter to the woman and back again. To his credit, Potter has a strange expression on his face that doesn't entirely agree with what Veronica is saying, it's a mixture of disgust and cynical amusement.  
  
Lily goes up to the woman. "Excuse me, ma'am, can I help you with anything?"  
  
The woman smiles at her. "Well, I'm waiting for the Headmaster. I know this is his office, but I'm afraid he's changed the password since I last came. He's done it five times in the past two years. A sign of the times to be sure. Honeydukes is going to be out of different types of candy by the time this Dark Lord thing blows over if he keeps changing the password like this."  
  
"I'm not sure if he is in. He went to the Ministry last night, and missed the entire Prefects' meeting. I didn't see his at breakfast (probably because she was too busy talking at me, but I didn't see him either) this morning. He should be back though." Lily explains patiently.  
  
I see Veronica whisper something (likely nasty and likely about us) in Potter's ear. Potter is watching us very closely. Black is still laughing. I just don't see what Winnie sees in him. I hope he is a homosexual so I don't have to listen to the disillusioned Winnie tell me how sweet and handsome Black is, and just how much she'd love to kiss him.  
  
Lily and the woman are still talking.  
  
"Oh my, you're Head Girl, how nice. You probably know my little boy. He's a Gryffindor too."  
  
"Er-maybe- what year?"  
  
"His final. He's Head Boy. I'm so proud of my baby." My jaw drops.  
  
Lily quickly turns her gasp into words; "I believe I do know him then."  
  
"Isn't he such a nice boy?" the woman who can only be Mrs. Potter says. I can't believe any of this. She's Potter's mum. I never would believe that Sir Groovy Quidditch has an embarrassing mum. He has a fault!  
  
"Erm-yeah," I nod along with her. What an obvious lie. It is amazing how blind parents are concerning their children.  
  
But not that blind. Mrs. Potter spots her "nice boy."  
  
"James! Sirius!" She walks toward them. I half expect her to say "got a kiss for your old mum" but she doesn't. Damn.  
  
Black is still laughing hysterically. I realize that he's not laughing at Mrs. Potter, but at Veronica for insulting her boyfriend's mum in front of him. "Always laughing at something Sirius," Mrs. Potter chuckles to herself.  
  
"So, what brings you here?" Potter asks. He's looks really nervous, and I would be too if my mum came to school to talk to the headmaster and I were Potter. If I were me, I wouldn't be nervous. I've never had a discipline problem in my life.  
  
Mrs. Potter gives her son a look, "I want to meet with Albus about certain current affairs you know. That is all. There isn't anything else is there?" Her voice trails off. "Oh and they've got the nicest hats in Gladrags…." I don't care to listen to anymore of the conversation.  
  
Dumbledore comes up to her looking weary. He's wearing his traveling cloak, and I bet he is just now returning to the school from last night. Something must be seriously wrong.  
  
"Mathilde." He bows Mrs. Potter into his office. The password is "Blood lollipops." How disgusting.  
  
Veronica motions for Black and Potter to come back to her. "How do you know that dink?" Black laughs again. Lily and I laugh too. Can't help it.  
  
"You don't want to know," Black says smartly. "I- erm, need to have a private word with James, so why don't you go to class, Verronica?"  
  
"See you around then," Smooch. How vulgar. But she is now gone. Neither Potter nor Black notices me or Lily, as they walk into an empty classroom. I stand outside the doorway.  
  
"I hate when she does that." Potter pulls a handkerchief out of his robes and wipes off all the lipstick from his face. What? "I can't believe she just said that." Huh?  
  
The bell rings. Lily hurries off to class. I do too, but my bag rips and some things fall out. I motion for Lily to go on. Somehow Black and Potter are so thick that they see none of this, and ignore the fact that I'm right outside.  
  
"I sure can," Black says. "Shows you what she's like. But I'm honestly glad she did say what she did. An excuse to tell her you're not her boyfriend, and you're not going to the Noël Night with her." WHAT? Is this common sense? Coming from them? Impossible.  
  
"Still… There's no reason to pull a Rosalind Perry on her when she hasn't done anything to me." Potter says.  
  
Excuse me? Pull a Rosalind Perry? I assume he's using my name to refer to a sudden outburst of cruelty that would be used in breaking up with you know who. As much as I admire his goals, I don't appreciate him mocking my assertiveness, especially in my presence. Girls need to be more assertive anyways.  
  
"You don't need to. Tell her your mad about your mum. That's good enough not mention you can't stand her." Black puts in. Potter can't stand Veronica? After all those public displays of affection? "You've got to do it, James. This is the only dance there is. If you have to go with Veronica, you won't get another chance to go with whom you really want to go with."  
  
"But what if she says 'no'? What will I do?" Potter says. He actually seems worried he won't get a date. What planet is he from. The only sensible people who would ever turn him down are me and Lily, and he knows not to ask us anyway.  
  
Black thinks for a bit. "Just be honest. That always works." What would he know about being honest? Last week, everyone saw him put a dungbomb in Snape's potion, and when it exploded, the first words out of Black's mouth were "it wasn't me."  
  
"I hope you're right."  
  
"I do too, James. I've been wanting to ask my date for the past two weeks, and I'm surprised she hasn't been taken." Guess he's not a homosexual. Dammit. At least I only have to deal with Winnie Frank for another five month before I leave school.  
  
Unfortunately, I'm out of stuff to pick up, and therefore out of an excuse to eavesdrop. Not wanting to miss any more potions, I run down to the dungeons.  
  
a/n That's it for now… and the fun hasn't even begun yet! Keep reviewing 


	4. Excitement Builds

"You're late," Professor McShane says the moment I walk into the dungeons.  
  
"My bag ripped," I say. I hold up my bag to show him.  
  
"Acceptable excuse, Miss Perry," he says. Some Slytherin mutters "teachers' pet." "May I see the bag?" I hand it to him. "Repario."  
  
"Thank you, professor." I take my seat next to Lily.  
  
At that moment, Black and Potter run in. Unlike me, they have no excuse being late, and get a detention each.  
  
"As I was saying… Truth potions are quite controversial, and the Ministry has many laws regarding their use. On one hand, a person could be correctly imprisoned or acquitted of a crime, and we wouldn't need trials. On the other hand, the power could be badly abused. When under the influence of a strong truth potion, you have no mental conscience, nor any power to avoid revealing something. Often, that power is abused. The potion we will be making this week is called Veritaserum. It is the most powerful of any truth potion, and it only needs three drops to cure you of any inhibitions about revealing your darkest secrets."  
  
The whole class flinches. Lupin looks sick. Then again, that boy is always sick, tired, or late.  
  
Professor McShane turns to write the ingredients of the potion on the board.  
  
"I know something you don't know," I sing quietly to Lily.  
  
"What?" She mouths.  
  
"The royal couple is breaking up." I smirk.  
  
"So? I thought you don't care about them." Lily demands.  
  
"I don't. But I'm as thrilled as can be. I'm sick of looking at them." I whisper.  
  
"Too true. You know, I can't believe that lady is Potter's mother." Lily says.  
  
"I can." Lily laughs. [Don't sue me Nancy Stouffer, I mean no infringement on your evil books. I've read "Rah" and it's worse than a really bad fanfiction, so I doubt you'd sell any even if Harry Potter didn't exist]  
  
* * *  
  
It happens at lunch. I have already finished my lunch, when Veronica appears, but I stay to watch the fun.  
  
Veronica comes over to sit on Potter's lap. Before she can sit, he stands up.  
  
"We need to talk." Potter says. He seems quite serious. "You know that woman we saw in the hallway before your Transfiguration and my Potions class?"  
  
"That weirdo?" Lily and I both laugh, and look away, so Potter doesn't know we are watching.  
  
"That weirdo was my mother." The look on Veronica's face is priceless.  
  
"I-I didn't know, Jamesie, honest." She is trying really hard to look innocent and loveable. It's a good reaction, but it doesn't fit well with her worldly and repulsive character. It's as if Snape was trying to act as if he cared about something. (Aside from himself of course)  
  
"I'm well aware you didn't know, which just goes to show that you're quick to judge people. You obviously don't know my mum." I have to admit: as much as I hate Potter, I admire what he's doing. I know he and Black planned on him saying this, but I can tell means what he's saying.  
  
Unlike Potter, I feel no love for Veronica. She's self-centered enough not to salvage the situation, apologize to Potter and say how wrong she was. Instead, she says, "We're still going to Noël Night together, Jamesie?"  
  
"No, Veronica, we are not." The whole of the Great Hall is silent. Potter is a little off put by this, but as he's Potter, he ignores everyone and continues to talk to Veronica. "I've been wanting to tell you for quite some time, but it was hard to get the words out when you mouth was covering mine."  
  
Veronica is in a state of shock. "Then who will you go to the dance with?"  
  
Potter looks at her very seriously. "There's a girl in my house I've been wanting to ask." All the girls at our table look as though Christmas has come early. I hope it's not me.  
  
"But we're still going steady, right?" Veronica looks desperate.  
  
"No, Veronica, we're not." The silence in the hall is broken by a collective gasp. These people really need more productive things to do with their lives.  
  
"Fine!" She runs out of the Great Hall in tears. The usual chatter of the Great Hall returns, except that all everyone is talking about is Veronica and Potter.  
  
"I don't believe it. I'd have pegged them for getting married as soon as they left school," a girl at the Ravenclaw table behind my seat says.  
  
"I feel bad for Veronica, but not that bad. I never liked her much anyway," says a third year Gryffindor.  
  
"He said he's going to ask a Gryffindor," a first year gushes. "Maybe it'll be me!" Dream on.  
  
Oh no! I realize. Now that Black and Potter are both single, there IS going to be double dating hysteria. This isn't good. I want Veronica back now. Really, I do.  
  
  
  
* * *  
  
Double dating hysteria does indeed break loose. Winnie Frank has become completely unbearable, all throughout Defense Against the Dark Arts she blathers on about whom Potter and Black are going to ask. She is even more thrilled than usual now that her chances of being asked to the Noël Night are double. It is hard to ignore her, but I am trying very hard. I turn away from her and talk to Lily, surprisingly, about the dance.  
  
As for myself, I am hoping either Reginald Jalbert, a seventh year Gyffindor prefect, or maybe Donald Finch, a very sweet Hufflepuff prefect, though he's not too good looking and has bad hygiene, will ask me. I like Donald despite the fact that he doesn't wear deodorant; he holds rules in high esteem and is very serious. If neither of them, or anybody else asks me by December, I am going to pull a Sadie Hawkins and ask Donald.  
  
Lily says she hopes Reggie or the other boy, Andrew Weasley asks her. Andrew is a decent guy, though he isn't a prefect. In fact, he's keeper on Gryffindor Quidditch, which is a minus because it means along with the rest of the Quidditch team and half of the boys in the school, he's a yes-man to Potter, Black and company. Weasley isn't my first choice, but if he did ask me, I wouldn't say no.  
  
We debate all throughout the hour. It was okay to talk in class today, because we were being tested on curse deflection. To me and everyone else in the class, it was better not to watch our comrades get beaten, controlled and exhausted by Professor Sparks. Personally, I think she's a Death Eater sent by You-Know-Who to scout who in our school would make a good follower. Snape, Lestange, Wilkes, Avery and Rosier love her. She actually shows us Dark Arts that she really shouldn't. I can also tell that she's not that competent. Winnie tells me that Professor Trelawney says that she'll be dead by the end of the year. I don't trust Winnie or Trelawney, but for seven years at Hogwarts, I've had seven different Defense Against the Dark Arts teachers. I do fine on the testing. I don't get full marks but I never do in Defense Against the Dark Arts.  
  
* * *  
  
Dinner is an amusing affair. The whole school now knows about Potter and Veronica. While the Gryffindors are thrilled, the Hufflepuffs intrigued, and the Slytherins indifferent, the Ravenclaws are rather bitter. They've gotten it into their heads that it their job to make every Gyffindor in the school miserable because of what Potter has done. If only he didn't have control over the whole school, then no one would car. Instead there is a horrible backlash. Normally peaceful Ravenclaws have bumped into, squished, and dropped food on Gryffindors, mainly myself, and not even apologized! I can't believe this place. I wish Potter and his friends didn't exist.  
  
  
  
* * *  
  
When Lily and I arrive into the common room after dinner, Winnie rushes over. She looks at me, as if she wants to tell me something, but stalks off after she remembers she isn't speaking to me since she's mad at me because of what I said about Black.  
  
"You really should apologize," Lily tells me.  
  
"Oh all right," I say. I don't need any more trouble.  
  
Winnie is sitting with the other two girls in our dorm, and all the fifth and sixth years, they are all bending over Witch Weekly, and a massive makeup collection. "What's going on?" Lily asks.  
  
Betty, a sixth year explains, "Nora in Hufflepuff overheard James Potter telling Sirius Black he was going to ask his date to Noël Night after dinner. We're all getting ready just in case."  
  
"Oh- OUCH!" I was about to say "Oh throw me off the cliff now and get it over with," but Lily pinched me in my upper back really hard to shut me up. Always the diplomat, that one.  
  
"Ros and I have homework we want to do, but otherwise we'd stay. Good luck to all of you," Lily says. She walks over to an empty table with two arm chairs. "Ros, don't start a fight, please. Let them be happy, they're having so much fun. We both know that this has been a rather big deal, but do we really want to find we have no friends after the Christmas holidays?"  
  
I give her a non-committal grunt. We breeze through Potions and Runes, and while we are filling out our astronomy charts, Betty, and another sixth year who I know to be Paulette, comes over to our table. I notice that both are wearing way too much makeup, and have straightened their hair.  
  
"Erm- Rosalind, since you aren't doing anything, (what? I'm doing plenty) would you mind keeping watch for James Potter?"  
  
"I don't-" I begin  
  
"She'd be glad to." Lily cuts in.  
  
Thanks a whole lot, Lily. 


	5. Askings

For about two minutes and thirty seconds, I pace in front of the Fat Lady. He's never going to come, I think. I decide to take a walk. I see students milling about the school. A couple of fourth years are sitting around playing Exploding Snap (not the stripping version thank God). I also see Black, and the Slytherin with a magical measuring tape, a box, a roll of parchment, and what seems to be a map. Oddly, Potter is not among them.  
  
"If we place one here.." One of them says. Place one what? OH NO! The dungbombs! I run away as fast as I can.  
  
I find myself in the corridor outside Professor Dumbledore's office. All of a sudden the gargoyle springs to life, and out walk Potter, his mother, and the Headmaster. They seem to be talking chummily together, which is something of a surprise. Potter says something I can't hear, but it must be a goodbye, because he kisses his mother on the cheek, and shakes the Headmaster's hand. Professor Dumbledore and Mrs. Potter continue to talk, while Potter walks toward me. I begin to walk back to the common room slowly, when I remember the only reason I'm where I am is because I am checking to see whether Potter is returning to the common room. I entertain not telling them, but since I am a girl of my word, or rather, Lily's word, I sprint to the common room.  
  
"Wildenbog!"  
  
The group of girls is sitting around their makeup and magazines. Betty is putting the last finishing touches on Winnie.  
  
"He. just. left. the. head. master's." I pant. They all shriek. I plug my ears. Paulette quickly shoves all the makeup and Witch Weekly in the bag and dashes upstairs. Everyone else grabs some chairs and lines them up in a straight row, making one for Paulette too. I shake my head and go back to sit with Lily who is reading.  
  
"Where were we?"  
  
"Number seven, I think."  
  
We settle back into our comfortable pattern. After a few minutes Potter does walk in. The whole common room is silent. Not interested, I keep my head down and continue working.  
  
A voice behind me says, "Lily? May I have a private word?" It's Potter.  
  
"Whatever you want to say, Potter, you can say it in front of me," I tell him.  
  
Potter gives me a look. Then he stands there, silent, for a few seconds, but doesn't leave. He swallows, and looks Lily straight in the eye. "I-I- I'd like to know if you would like to go to the Noel Night with me," he blurts out.  
  
WHAT? POTTER is asking LILY to the NOEL NIGHT? Where did this come from? Potter has been meaning to ask Lily the whole time? Lily's the girl he really likes? There's something really weird here. I can't believe it. Not a word.  
  
I'm not the only one who is shocked. The common room is completely still. All the girls who spent all that time preparing look murderous. Lily has a pleasantly surprised look on her face.  
  
Potter is red in the face, something I'd never seen before from the boy has no shame. "I'd understand if you said no, but I just thought I'd ask. We've worked together a lot and it would be fun to." Lily looks at me, confused. I think she wants me to tell her whether she should say yes or no.  
  
It isn't my decision to make. I can't stand him, I can't stand Black, I can't stand Lupin, and I especially hate that Slytherin who is in our common room right now. For the past six and a half years, I've made this all quite clear. But it is sweet that Potter asked her, and he did do it nicely.  
  
I look at Potter; he seems really nervous. His face is really red now. Far out. He must like Lily. Lily herself seems excited. I think she does want to go with Potter.  
  
Lily is still looking at me for advice. There's nothing else for it. I shrug at her and nod my head.  
  
"Yes, I will," Lily says with a small smile.  
  
Potter breathes a great sigh. "This is- this is...great." He seem a bit awkward standing there, so he goes off to join his friends who are all back in the common room after their dungbomb planting. He smiles at Lily, and he and his friends head off to their dormitory. Probably to figure out where would be a good place to plant another dungbomb.  
  
The whole common room begins to react to what has happened. All the girls are really cross.  
  
"Potter wants to go with Evans? I thought they hate each other!"  
  
"She isn't even wearing makeup! She's not even nice to him. She doesn't deserve him at all."  
  
"Lily's a prefect. She should know love potions are illegal. And if she doesn't, it's a miracle her snot-nosed friend didn't tell her."  
  
"Let's go, Lily," I say. We are out of there as I hear someone say, "I wonder how much she is paying him."  
  
We go into our dormitory. I sit on the bed. "That was strange."  
  
"What do you mean?" Lily asks me.  
  
"I never expected Potter to ask you to the dance." I tell her. "It was nice of him. Should I have said 'no?'" She looks at me strangely.  
  
"DO you really want to go to dance with Potter?" I ask.  
  
"I.well. actually- I do. James has been really nice to me. I like working with him. He likes working with me. It should be rather enjoyable." She notices the blank look on my face. "Oh come on, Ros, I do like him. I know you don't, but please.."  
  
"It seems so strange. him asking you and all. Does he really care? Maybe he wants to make a fool of you or something heinous like that," I muse.  
  
"I know you hate him, but James isn't that type of person. He likes to play jokes, but they're always from the Zonko's genre." Lily insists. "He never tries to hurt anyone or be mean. It's mischief, not malice"  
  
"What about the time when Snape came up to breakfast wearing makeup and a hair bow because he doesn't look at himself in the morning during our fourth year? Everyone laughed at him, and he was badly humiliated. It was really cruel, and rather malicious. Who did that? It certainly wasn't Evan Rosier," I say.  
  
"Maybe James didn't do it. Perhaps it was Black." Lily suggests.  
  
"Oh, I don't KNOW! Just be careful, for my sake?" I fall onto my bed, and pound my fists into the pillow.  
  
Lily gets up to storm out of the dormitory. She stops in the doorway, aware of what is downstairs. Face red, I grab my cloak and get up and go instead.  
  
"Thanks," she calls after me.  
  
* * *  
  
The girls are still jeering in the common room. It's so immature, I think to myself. There's nothing for me to do, so I go to the library.  
  
The Hogwarts Library is an immense place. It's got one of the best private magical book collections in the world. But the one thing Hogwarts is lacking is fiction. Good, solid magical fiction. Action-adventure novels, mysteries, historical books, humor, horror, and just plain yarns. Appropriate, really, considering that it is an academic library that contains volumes on the most complicated magical theories in the world. There is one small collection of books, started in the nineteenth century by a headmistress who liked that sort of thing. She wanted to have a huge collection, but she died a year after being elected headmistress, and the new headmistress didn't approve of spending library funds for books unrelated to studies. The library never bothered to withdraw them. There's only about one hundred, so I've read all the good ones, but I always check to see if there is an interesting one that I haven't read. There never is. A volume that I've seen a million times, but always glossed over, catches my eye. "Requited Love" is the title. I hate romance novels. They really are trash.  
  
The headmistress who bought all the books handwrote a summary for each of them on a little parchment card placed inside the books. I take a peak at the summary.  
  
"Devious Pollyanne Winston is madly in love with the dashing Gregor Uxbridge, but every bit of conversation they have had has been cold, and unromantic. She dreams of becoming closer to her love, but with every exchanged word, their relationship breaks further. Her family thinks Gregor is worthless, but to Pollyanne, he is nothing but the deepest desire of her heart. "Unbeknownst to Pollyanne, Gregor feels likewise. He admires her every sentiment, and she means more to him than the deepest magic. He has a reputation as a rogue, and he cannot find the words to express his emotions. "Both decide to brew up a powerful love potion, but neither realizes the potion does not work. Each thinking he or she has successfully wooed the other, they let all guard down until they realize both have been acting out of their own hearts, and destiny follows its due course. "An enchanting tale. Sure to please the young and the lovers. One of the Daily Prophet's top ten books for witches "  
  
I go over to a table and begin reading. It's not as bad as I thought it would be. Trash novels, as disgusting as they are, apparently never fail to engross. While I am reading I pull my figure of Renée Flamboyer out of my pocket, and put her on the table to walk around. I got her at the Quidditch World Cup that took place years before I came to school. We don't usually waste our money on souvenirs, but my dad let me get a figure of the French seeker after I had promised that she wouldn't be sitting under my bed after owning her for a week. I didn't let her go for the week after she had caught the snitch and beat West Germany. Even now I still carry her around.  
  
I have to have been there for an hour, reading, in the tables in the back. I begin to enjoy the book, and all my tense feelings seem to go away. Reading is one of the most useful emotion breakers, that's why I love it so much.  
  
Unfortunately it doesn't work. I look up from my book to see Veronica Engerton staring at me.  
  
"What do you want?" I ask her.  
  
"I just came to tell you I think you are a bitch. I don't what HE sees in you. I'm going to make you miserable for what you did."  
  
"WHAT?" "Don't play dumb. I don't know how you did it, but you STOLE him from me. If it wasn't for you, I'd still have my date," Veronica shrieks.  
  
Wait a second. What did I do? Steal her date? Potter? But Potter's going with Lily, not me.  
  
My God! Veronica thinks that I am the one who is going to the dance with Potter. For someone who's already part mental, that's impressive, not getting the right person. I begin to fasten my cloak. When I look down to latch the silver fastenings, I see that the badge on my chest isn't my own. Intead of a "P", it says "HG" on it. Head Girl. I have Lily's cloak. Veronica must have heard Potter asked the Head Girl, and saw my badge. Pretty moronic not to know whom the Head Girl is, even if someone else is wearing the badge.  
  
I start laughing.  
  
"So, you aren't sorry, are you? You are a bitch, I'm going to make you sorry. Starting now." She reaches for my minute Renée, who is looking up at Veronica, hands on hips.  
  
I grab at Renée, but Veronica is too fast. "You can't do that!"  
  
Madam Pince, the librarian, rushes over. "What is this nonsense?"  
  
Veronica may be thick, but she is rather swift when it comes to being rotten. "I'm just taking back what she stole."  
  
"That-I-Hey!" Veronica is gone. Madam Pince gives me a dirty look that makes my insides shudder. I spent seven years getting that woman to like me, and thanks to Engerton, it's all gone down the loo.  
  
'I'd like to check this out," I say softly. Madam Pince rips the book from my hands and swoops over to her desk to sign out the book. She finishes, and pushes the book wordlessly to the corner of the desk, tutting about good-for-nothing girls, and good-for-nothing books.  
  
I can't believe this.  
  
* * *  
  
I don't even sleep enough to call tonight's slumber a kip. I toss and turn enraged at everyone. Veronica for being mean, a moron, and herself; Potter, for breaking up with her, which made her mad at me, and Lily, because she's so happy. I peaked into her curtains when I came in, and she's got arms around one of her pillows, and this goofy grin on her face. I bet she was dreaming about him.  
  
What kind of right does Veronica think she has to act like that? I do absolutely nothing to her, and she steals one of my favorite possessions, calls me the b-word that I can't stand, and ruins my standing with a teacher, who likes precious few students to begin with? It's all Potter's fault. He probably orchestrated it all, using Lily to make Veronica mad at me to get even for all the times I've turned him and all his friends into McGonagall for rule-breaking. It's just the sort of thing Potter would do. As pointless as his pranks are, they're DEEP. He and Black once got revenge on Snape for making snide remarks about their Slytherin friend's stupid haircut by making all of his hair fall out. It grew back in a day, and as mean as it was, Potter knows a thing or two about poetic justice.  
  
I bet Potter doesn't even have feelings for Lily. Maybe he's just using her for charms answers. He's Head Boy, but he's really rich, and I bet his mum bribed Professor Dumbledore. No, that's not it. I bet he blackmailed him. I know the headmaster is above taking bribes. I bet he really doesn't have the highest grades of all the boys, and he just cheats to get decent marks. I'm goiug to do something tomorrow.  
  
* * *  
  
"Why would James ask me to Noël Night if he didn't like me?" Lily says at breakfast the next morning.  
  
"I don't know. It just seems peculiar," I explain.  
  
"I don't know what's gotten into you, Ros, but it doesn't seem that way to me." She grabs her plate and goes to eat at another place at the Gryffindor table. Much to my dismay, that new place happens to be next to Potter. I realize that I haven't told her about Veronica, so she doesn't know why I'm so cross.  
  
##############  
  
a/n Ahhh. The end of another chapter. If you are bored, take a peek at some of my other stuff.please? I'd recommend the Ultimate Prequel. 


	6. Veritaserum

* * *  
  
Lily's still mad at me by the time we go to Potions, but not mad enough that we don't sit together.  
  
At our table, there are two goblets filled with what seems like water. In Potions class, you never know.  
  
I unpack my things, waiting to begin. Lily's looking over towards Potter's table. He's sitting there with Black and Pettigrew. This is our only class with Slytherin, so that's why Pettigrew's sitting with them. I'm surprised he hasn't started going to Gryffindor classes yet. Someone's missing, but I can't place it.  
  
"Good morning, class," Professor McShane says with a grin. "I would like everyone to drink the liquid in your respective goblets."  
  
Unquestioningly, I pick mine up and drink the lot. It tastes exactly like water. I hear a clinking noise, and behind me, Potter, Black and Pettigrew bang theirs together before chugging it all down.  
  
"What IS this stuff, Professor?" Black calls out.  
  
"Water," he says simply. "At least for eighteen of you." Eighteen? I realize that the missing person is Remus Lupin. He's never in class. He's probably cutting.  
  
"What's in the other one, then?" Black asks.  
  
"Veritaserum."  
  
"WHAT?" The whole class is in an uproar. Except for Potter, who is just sitting at his seat passively.  
  
"Well, well, well." Professor McShane says with an evil smile. "It looks as if we've got our victim. It's time to show you all just how powerful veritaserum really is. Mr. Potter has no control over what he will, and will not say, and I promise you: every last word will be the complete truth. His lips are looser than the drunkest drunk."  
  
"You can't do this!" Black shrieks. "It isn't right! Self-incrimination is illegal!" Professor McShane just smirks.  
  
"Mr. Potter, it's time to answer a few questions. What's your name, son?"  
  
"James Potter," Potter's voice has this weird monotone to it. Black's standing right next to Potter, but his eyes are on the professor. I have a feeling that Black is going clamp his hand over Potter's mouth if a bad question was asked. Like "Have you ever broken a school rule?" HA! "Yes, Potter, but what's your full name?" McShane asks again.  
  
Dutifully, Potter answers, "Godric James Tainer-Stratford Potter." Several people snicker, others look surprised. None of Potter's friends react. They obviously know and don't care.  
  
"So your real first name is Godric?" Black is still eying Professor McShane. He seems less tense, but not much less. You don't use veritaserum to get someone to say his or her full name.  
  
"Yes, it's a family name. My mother and father wanted me to have it, not use it. I've been called James even before I could call myself anything. They just wanted to honor my great-great-great-great grandfather because he founded my house." A murmur rushes through the classroom. POTTER is Godric Gryffindor's infinitely great grandson? Amazing. Although I can't see how naming Potter Godric would be an honor considering Potter once poured a liter of red paint on the statue of the great Gryffindor himself on purpose.  
  
Black stands up and says without being called on, " Professor, you don't have the right to do this. James did not want people to know that."  
  
"Mr. Black, I don't see any reason why Mr. Potter should care one way or the other. These facts aren't personal, not yet anyways. Who cares if our friend Mr. Potter happens to be related to a wizard in history? Being a historical figure does not prevent people from having children, you all must realize that." I can't help but agree with Professor McShane. It's far out that Potter is related to THE Godric Gryffindor.  
  
"But James did not want people to know that. His family keeps it quiet on purpose," Black repeats. "Certain people care very much about these things, and I think you know damn well who I'm talking about, but of course you kept quiet about him! Couldn't have given him some veritaserum, eh?"  
  
No one in the class has the faintest idea what Black is saying, except Professor McShane, who's pale complexion has turned the red of one of those signs in Lily's neighborhood that tells Muggle cars to stop at intersections when they really should know to do so already.  
  
"Mr. Black. You will sit down in your seat right now, and say no more. If you do, I will take off five hundred points from Gryffindor," Professor McShane fumes. I can tell he's really cross.  
  
Black opens his mouth to protest, but then realizes it is in his best interest to shut up.  
  
Perhaps to get revenge on Black or perhaps because he meant to all along, Professor McShane asks loads of questions about Potter's family. I realize I never knew much about Potter. Black looks at the Professor like a determined guard dog. His threat is entirely empty. Five hundred points is too much, even for him.  
  
I can see why Potter wouldn't want people to know what he is saying in his toneless voice. Potter has worked quite hard these seven years: getting into fights on the very first day with Severus Snape, sneaking nose-biting teacups on the staff table with fascinating results, turning the Headmaster's beard green (oddly, Professor Dumbledore LIKED it and kept it that way until he had to go to the Ministry a month later), breaking the detention record along with Black (the offical announcement was made last February that they beat Peeves by serving their one thousand first detention together), holding parties after quidditch matches using food that could only be gotten from Hogsmeade (God knows how they got it), and being out of bed just about once for every detention he's got to create the impression that he's a rebel. I don't feel bad at all that it is all going out the window, considering he comes from a very nice family indeed. For one, his grandfather is the Minister of Magic himself. For another, before he died, Potter's father was a school governor, which is quite impressive. The disappointing thing is that the intrigue of how Potter could get so many detentions and stay on the Quidditch team, and in Hogwarts is completely gone.  
  
Potter's still droning on about his father's position. He doesn't care that his father was a school governor as much as he cares about the position going to a person called Lucius Malfoy after his father died. Malfoy was too young, too stupid, bought the position, and most importantly: a Slytherin.  
  
"Enough!" Professor McShane shouts after about five minutes of Potter's droning that went from "The equal balance of governors from each house has gone shifted to a poor level" to "Lucius Malfoy is about as slippery as oil" to "Everyone knows that Malfoy works for Voldemort except that idiot Cornelius Fudge" to "You can never trust a Slytherin."  
  
All the Slytherins look rather cross at Potter. Even his buddy Pettigrew, who hero-worships Potter and Black with the utmost devotion (that makes me want to vomit), seems really scared. He looks like someone just died. Professor McShane is looking at Potter with the utmost hatred. After all, he is head of Slytherin house, and for someone to tell him that Slytherins can't be trusted under the influence of a powerful truth potion may have made him slightly angry.  
  
"Potter, I have a little question for you: have you ever betrayed a friend?" The class goes quiet. I wouldn't want to answer this question under veritaserum, myself. I mean, everyone has probably done it once or twice. Even though Lily's my best friend in the entire world, I've talked about her behind her back a few times. Mostly about stuff that involved her doing stupid stuff with her sister, and how she still has no clue about half the things in the wizard world. But I don't do it THAT often. I wonder what Potter's done?]  
  
"Nothing," The whole class gasps. "I would never betray anyone that I count as my friend." Severus Snape calls out, "Potter's got to be lying. I don't think the potion is working. Everyone knows he's not that honest." Too true.  
  
"I am terribly sorry, Mr. Snape, but the potion is working. Apparently Mr. Potter is a very trustworthy person," Professor McShane seems rather annoyed. He was hoping to make Potter look bad, or as bad as Potter can look. He's gotten caught doing so many embarrassing things, but somehow still remains popular.  
  
Lily leans over and whispers in my ear, "Wow, he's really never betrayed someone. Thought that's not a big thing. You've never betrayed me."  
  
"Right," I say, melting a little.  
  
"All right, Mr. Potter, how far have you and Ms. Engerton gone?" The whole class gasps. Some of the girls start giggling. Black seems oddly unconcerned. Even I'm curious to hear this one, considering what the pair has done in public, let alone private. Clearly Professor McShane was thinking along the same lines.  
  
"Nothing, really. She kissed me in public and sat on my lap, but I never did anything back with her, and we didn't do anything in private. I'm sure she wanted to, but I never let her. I didn't feel about Veronica the way she felt about me. I didn't want to hurt her feelings, but I finally called it off after she unknowingly insulted my mother."  
  
Professor McShane is again disappointed. Obviously he had no idea about Potter and Engerton's little split.  
  
"I TOLD you it wasn't working, Professor," Severus Sanpe insists.  
  
The Potions Master mutters something, then hurries to his office. He comes out with a miniscule crystal bottle, shoves the open end in Potter's mouth, and drains it into you.  
  
"THAT should clear any doubts as to whether it's working or not. It only takes three drops on the tongue, and I'm willing to bet that was more. MUCH, much more."  
  
"Is he mad?" Lily whispers. "Couldn't James get sick?"  
  
I shrug. "Maybe. I wouldn't care if Potter croaks right here and now. Besides, Professor McShane is the Potions Master. He wouldn't ever give anyone too much of anything."  
  
"Look at him!" Lily hisses.  
  
Professor McShane is looking down at Potter, who definitely does look slightly nauseated.  
  
"He'll be fine!"  
  
"Alright, Potter," Professor McShane says. If you aren't going to the Noel Night with Veronica, who are you going with?"  
  
"Lily Evans." There is no symphony of oohs and gasps as Potter reveals this. Everyone in the room (except possibly Professor McShane) already knows. The only reaction in the room is from Lily, who reddens slightly.  
  
"I wasn't aware, Potter, that you fancied Ms. Evans, why don't you elaborate a bit," Professor McShane says with a small simpering smile. He turns to the class. "It doesn't take much power of the imagination to know that under normal circumstances, most of us would not care to answer this next question, even Mr. Potter, who doesn't have a governor on his mouth in the first place, right Potter?" There was this very unfortunate incident years ago when Potter called Professor McShane something iI've/i never uttered aloud.  
  
Potter isn't listening. Instead, he says, "I've liked Lily Evans ever since the first day of classes in my first year, when she yelled at me for calling her and Perry 'swots.' I remember looking into to her eyes that first time. She's got the wildest eyes ever. Every time I look into them, I get swallowed by a forest of green."  
  
Gag me. Potter's really that bonkers about Lily? And speaking of Lily, she's under the table, which is peculiar because I know she's not one to hide from things. I poke my head under the table. Her face is the exact same color as her hair, which is a rich, dark red that I'm secretly envious of. I hate my hair. It's blonde and stringy, which doesn't really work because my face is too fat.  
  
"And she's got this smile, that makes me melt every time I see it. I get chills down my spine, and butterflies in my stomach." Potter won't shut up. I'd never thought he was capable of a coherent sentence, let alone talk for so long on the same topic.  
  
All the Slytherins are snickering. Black has his head in his hands and is shaking his head. Lily's still under the table. People are staring, but no one can see Lily, so they're all staring at me.  
  
"I don't just like Lily because she's beautiful," Potter says. "She's intelligent, and funny too. I love talking with her. She's understands me, and I feel comfortable with her."  
  
I've had enough or people staring at me, so I slide off my stool and under the table.  
  
"Oh my god, oh my god," Lily groans. Her face is still beet red. I put my hand on her shoulder.  
  
"Look on the bright side, Lil: at least he's not saying you are a pukeface. He genuinely ilikes /i you. Fancy what he would say if Professor McShane asked him about me," I joke.  
  
"Oh Ros," Lily begins to laugh a bit, but I can hear from her tone now that she's trying not to cry.  
  
"Lily?" I say. "Just think how embarrassed POTTER is going to be when he realizes what he's said all class. You think you've got it bad."  
  
"Oh GOD," Lily shakes her head. She bites her lip then says, "if James can live this down, then I can too."  
  
'That's my girl. Up on the count of three. One. two. three," We resurface to find Potter still reminiscing about the time Lily tried to take him on because he made her hair match her eyes in our third year, and he didn't want to hit her back, because he didn't want to mess up her face in addition to the fact that he won't hit a girl.  
  
"Great story, Potter," McShane says, interrupting him with a sneer. "Now, how about you tell us where you went late last night?"  
  
The whole class bursts out laughing. Potter and his friends are infamous for sneaking out of bed several times a month. No one knows where they go or what they do, or how they never get caught, just that they are out of bed more often than not. Black's jaw drops to the floor.  
  
"Last night was a-" Potter begins.  
  
"HAVEN'T YOU DONE ENOUGH?" Black barks all of a sudden, hand over his best friend's mouth. "FIRST YOU EMBARRASS STUNDENTS IN THIS CLASS, AND NOW YOU'RE GOING TO RUIN HIS LIFE AND EVERYTHING ELSE HE'S WORKED FOR! JUST TO MAKE JAMES LOOK BAD, TO PROVE A BLOODY POINT! IT'S NOT WORTH THAT."  
  
"Black's gone mad," Lily exclaims.  
  
"He'll lose us five hundred points! What's he doing?" I hiss.  
  
I gasp as Black jumps out of his seat. He hoists Potter onto his shoulders, which isn't an easy thing to do because Potter's so tall so he's hard to lift, and tries to run with him out of the classroom.  
  
"Stop at once!" Professor McShane roars. He digs in his pockets for his wand, but it isn't there. He runs over to his desk and grabs it, but it's too late. Black's already out the door with Potter. 


	7. Four Upset Seventh Years

A/n: sincerest apologies to the unlucky friend and test reader of mine whose name I stole for a certain potions master and turned into an evil character (  
  
"Ros, I'm going to the toilets," Lily says the moment we escape the nightmare that was the last hour of double potions. The whole class was perfectly silent after Professor McShane took away the points he promised.  
  
"Want me to come with you?" I ask. Lily looks like she's about to cry.  
  
"No, I'll manage." She runs off into the crowd leaving me alone with my thoughts.  
  
* * *  
  
Stupid. Stupid. Stupid. I can't believe that Sirius Black lost us five hundred points. All to protect stupid Potter and "everything he's worked for." According to "Hogwarts, A History," no house has lost more points than it earned since 1683. So what if Potter gets expelled? He'd deserve it. Professor McShane tries to catch him in a lie, and gets Black's wrath, totally undeserved of someone who works so hard.  
  
A sudden push pulls me back to this planet. The offending oaf, a fourth year boy shouts, "You're not going to get away with this!"  
  
In a flash of fury he jumps onto the back of a third year boy and starts punching. The third year is by no means helpless, and begins fighting back with more fury than I've ever seen in my entire life.  
  
"Get him!" Some one shouts. I need hardly mention that fighting is against school rules.  
  
"Stop it! Now!" The boys don't listen to me. Instead one puts his hand into his robes for his wand and shouts "furnunculus!"  
  
Even as enormous tentacles burst all over the victim's face, he manages to properly perform the jelly legs curse amidst cheers from his supporters. I need to stop this. It's my duty as a prefect.  
  
"Impedimenta! Accio wands!" I shout. The boys slow down as each of their wands fly into my hands. Now who's bad at charms, Lily? I think to myself. "You two know fighting is against school rules," I admonish.  
  
The Impediment curse doesn't last as long as I'd like it too, and as it begins to wear off the boys lunge at each other again.  
  
I jump between them. "Enough!" One of the boys punches me instead of his fiend. "Yowch!"  
  
"That-" fill in another word I don't say, "stole my-"  
  
"Save it for the headmaster!" I snap. I grab them each by the ear (just because I've always wanted to do that to somebody) as I march them to the stone gargoyle. "Blood lollipop!"  
  
"Is this where Dumbledore lives?" one of the boys asks as we step on a moving spiral staircase that takes us up and up.  
  
"Of course," I say haughtily. They aren't aware I've never been here either. We reach a door. I raise a hand to knock, but voices from behind it stop me.  
  
"Professor, he shouldn't have done it at ALL!" The voice is Black's.  
  
"Now, Sirius, I'm sure things will be rather unpleasant for Mr. Potter when he regains consciousness, but I have every confidence that Mr. Potter is more than capable of repairing relationships. I admire your loyalty to your best friend, but you've had a history of overreacting to-" Dumbledore says rationally.  
  
"Professor, it's not about James at all!" Black bursts in. "McShane asked James what he was doing last night. You know what last night was! He couldn't have stopped himself from mentioning it, it's veritaserum! I stopped him right before he betrayed-"  
  
"Ouch!" One of the boys whacks me in the head as he starts to fight again. The door to the headmaster's office snaps open, and I get a glimpse of a beautiful room with whirling magical contraptions before Professor Dumbledore pokes his head out.  
  
"Miss Perry! What's the meaning of all this?" he demands "I wasn't even aware you knew where I lived." The boys stop fighting.  
  
"There was an - erm - disagreement in the halls. So I felt you could deal with them better than I could, as I have sustained quite a bit of personal injury." I explained.  
  
Professor Dumbledore sighed. "Unfortunately, I am tied down with other students at the moment and I'm afraid I won't be able to talk to you this afternoon. However, Miss Perry, since you feel this matter is of great importance, please see Professor McGonagall as she is the deputy headmistress. Be sure to tell her I sent you."  
  
* * *  
  
"I don't really know what to think!" Lily wails at Hagrid the gamekeeper's hut several hours later. "Sure I was embarrassed out of my wits, but I'm flattered too. He fancies me, and I do fancy him. I don't drool all over him some girls, but he's not the repulsive slug you think he is either. Not by a long shot. In all of that today, did you notice that Professor McShane never succeeded in making James look bad? You know, he's rather sensitive. Did you notice when he was talking about Veronica, he was always kept a civil tongue? Pretty impressive considering Veronica."  
  
"Speaking of which. Remember last night? Well, when I went off to the library after I left the dormitory, I had your cloak, so Veronica thought I was you," I grumble.  
  
"Really?" Lily says with a small smile, "That was thick of her, what did she say?"  
  
"That I was the b-word, and I stole her boyfriend," I say bitterly. "Then she took Renée."  
  
"She DIDN'," Hagrid growls indignantly as he sets down a pan of rock cakes that I'm sure will live up to their name. "If you were in the library, why didn't yeh tell Madam Pince? SHE woulda done summat about it."  
  
"I did try, Hagrid," I explain. "Stupid Veronica decided to say that I filched it from her before I could explain SHE took it from ME. And do you know what? Now Madam Pince thinks I'm a thief."  
  
"Hmmmm," Hagrid says. Hagrid's always been someone to got to for advice. He's younger than all of the professors so he seems to understand students better. Every Gryffindor has to have been there at least three or four times, and even some people from other houses have come sobbing over a cup of tea. Even Severus Snape has paid a visit, I've heard. Hagrid never seems to mind. Winnie told me it was Hagrid who helped Potter and Black make up after their famous row last year. Apparently Black came to Hagrid to talk about how sorry he felt, and when Potter came to do the same, Hagrid told him what Black just said. They made up that day. Seeing Hagrid is one of the best things you can do when you're in a bind. He's a great listener and a good friend (apart from his cooking).  
  
"I think yeh oughta talk ter James, Rosalind" Hagrid says at last.  
  
"What would he do?" I ask.  
  
"Well this mess is sorta his fault. He didn' exactly do the job cleanly if yeh know what I mean. He'd bin wantin' ter do it fer a while, James, but he didn' know how ter tell her seein' as she liked 'im so much. He's too polite if yeh ask me. Then again, there aren't too many people who have a heart when dealing with people they don' like. He's a nice boy, Lily, and I'm real glad he likes yeh so much."  
  
"Why?" Lily asks.  
  
"Hones'ly? You and him are two of the nicest people I know. I jus' thought that yeh'd make a great couple. Nice people deserve nice people." Hagrid says with a smile  
  
"I'm nice too, right, Hagrid?" I ask.  
  
"Yer only nice when you want ter be, Rosalind."  
  
I open my mouth to protest, but just then, there is a knock at the door.  
  
"Hagrid, may we come in? It's an emergency," A voice from the other side of the door pleads.  
  
"I'm talkin' ter some students righ' now," Hagrid explains. "But I know I all abou' it so I can' turn yeh away. Come on in."  
  
The cabin door opens with a puff of frigid air and Black, Lupin and Potter walk in, faces bright red from the whipping December winds. Potter gives a small start when he sees Lily, who in turn, turns red. They take off their cloaks, and I can see that Potter isn't wearing his school robes, but the horrid striped pajamas Madam Pomfrey passes out to overnight patients, as they all cram around Hagrid's tiny table. Hagrid offers the boys some rock cakes, and to my surprise, they not only accept them, but begin to eat. There's an awkward silence as Black casts a nervous look around the table. I don't think he wants to talk with Lily and me here, but shucks to him because we were here first.  
  
Hagrid grins at Potter and says, "Rough day, eh, James?" Potter nobs, he looks slightly ill, probably the veritaserum. I feel bad for him.  
  
"You don't even know half of it, Hagrid," Black says.  
  
Hagrid just smiles, "The half I do know is bad enough."  
  
"I don't even recall what I said, Hagrid," Potter says. He looks terrible, like he's about to cry. The last thing I remember is drinking that stuff in potions, and the next thing I know, I'm lying in a bed in Madam Pomfrey's pajamas with her, Dumbledore, Sirius and Remus staring at me. Then Sirius tells me that I've told everyone my family, my feelings, and I almost told everyone about. well I'm glad Sirius was there. I said things that I don't tell people. I didn't want people to know about my family."  
  
"Yeh shouldn't be ashamed of yer family," Hagrid says gruffly. "Yer from a long line of great witches and wizards that yeh oughta be proud of."  
  
"I'm not ashamed of my family, I'm just that. I'm from a long line of great witches and wizards.. I'd rather people think of me as James Potter, and not the Minister's grandson, or Godric Gryffindor's great-great-great- grandson, or Bowman Wright's great-great-grandson or-"  
  
"You're related to Bowman Wright too?" I squeal.  
  
Potter sighs. "Guess I didn't mention that one."  
  
Everyone bursts out laughing.  
  
"People might think I'm stuck-up or I have an in, but I don't." Due to the fact that Potter is in the room, I fail to point out that Potter is already as stuck-up as his hair, which is rather.  
  
"What gets me," Lily says thoughtfully, "Is the fact that Professor McShane never asked you what for permission to do what he did. He just had everyone drink a goblet, then attacked the victim."  
  
"Do you suppose Professor McShane had already chose who was going to take the goblet with the potion in it?" Remus asks. "I was ill, but did he pass them out, or were they there already? Was James' marked?"  
  
"Not that I noticed," Black growls, "but we've all sat at the same tables for the past seven years. It wouldn't be too hard for him to just-"  
  
There is another knock at the door, and Professor Dumbledore enters. "I should have known I'd find our runaway here." He chuckles. "Madam Pomfrey was worried sick. I don't want to know how you got out of Madam Pomfrey's care, but I'm afraid I'm going to have to bring you back. And Sirius, Remus, you should have known better."  
  
Potter puts on his cloak, and whispers something in Lily's ear before reluctantly following Dumbledore out the door.  
  
"We should get going," I say, "Thanks, Hagrid."  
  
"Bye," Lily says.  
  
"What did Potter say, Lily?" I ask the moment we step out into the cold.  
  
"He just wants to talk to me in private about today. Speaking of which, you should follow Hagrid's advice and tell him about Veronica. James would help. I know he would"  
  
"I won't do it. I don't want his help," I say defiantly.  
  
* * * 


	8. Dropping Bombs

"I thought Sirius Black would have asked his date by now," Winnie grumbles to Lily and me after Wednedsay's Charms lesson. "It's been five whole days since James Potter asked his date."  
  
"What a tragedy. You know, they haven't even started to put up the Christmas decorations," I say. Lily gives me the evil eye. Now that she likes Potter, it seems that she has to like his imbecile friend too.  
  
"Erm- Winnie dear?" Lily says delicately, "If you're so keen on going with Sirius black, why don't you ask him yourself?"  
  
"I couldn't do that!" Winnie exclaims, "What if he turns me down?"  
  
"Then you never speak to him again as I jump for joy," I mutter under my breath.  
  
"Lily?" Winnie asks. "Do you think you could ask James if Sirius likes me?"  
  
"I'll try," Lily says. Traitor.  
  
* * *  
  
I sigh as I stretch myself out on the big chair in front of the Gryffindor common room fire, reading my book, waiting for it to be time to go to Astronomy. I don't know where Lily went off to. Somewhere with Potter, I'd imagine. They've become quite the item lately. Potter's carried her books all week, which annoyed me to the extent that I asked him to carry my books too. He said they were too heavy, and then Black offered to carry them. I didn't let him carry my books. In less than an hour, I finish my book. If it weren't for the gushy parts, it would have been more than a decent book. The love potion part was way overdone.  
  
I check the due date. Tomorrow. Madam Pince must have taken her revenge on me by not letting me get the full two weeks.  
  
I go to drop the book off, as there is nothing better to do, since Lily's out. I manage to do so and avoid Madam Pince's evil eyes, but as I am about to crawl behind a tapestry to go down to the seventh floor, Veronica Engerton stands in my way.  
  
"Where's my boyfriend?" she demands.  
  
"He's not your boyfriend, nor is he-"  
  
"Remember this?" Veronica pulls my Renée out of her pocket.  
  
"Give it here!" I screech as I reach into my robes for my want.  
  
"Not whole," She snaps Renée in half, right in the privates.  
  
"Why you little.." I have the urge to tear Veronica to shreds then and there, but fighting's against school rules. "You're going to pay for that, Engerton," I say simply. A very familiar tabby cat passes my by. McGonagall! "But not right now."  
  
I slip behind the tapestry, then run back to the portrait hole. "Bitter Pies!" I pant.  
  
"Rosalind!" Lily exclaims, "where were you?"  
  
"I went to return a library book," I explain, "where were YOU?"  
  
"Flitwick wanted to show me some new materials he ordered for our class. He's got some great ideas planned for next term. We might be doing memory charms, or maybe even the Confundus Charms, the really advanced ones the Ministry uses," Lily gushes. She's really thrilled that Flitwick took her aside considering how much she adores the subject.  
  
"That's swell!" I say, "I'd figured you were with Potter."  
  
"James?" Lily laughes, "I haven't seen him at all this afternoon."  
  
"No clue where he might be?"  
  
"None," Lily says, "Flitwick says that we're going to get to protection charms too! He says our year is one of the most talented he's ever seen. We might even reach the Fidelius charm, though I'm not exactly sure what that would do!"  
  
* * *  
  
Neither Potter nor Black show up for astronomy, so I don't get a chance to talk with him about Veronica at all. In fact, I don't see him again until Thursday morning's double potions.  
  
"Should I talk to him now?" I ask Lily.  
  
"He looks a bit occupied." Lily says. True enough. Potter and his friends have unpacked their frog brains and are busy running around the dungeons chasing each other, trying to slip the frog brains down each other's robes. It has to be one of the most immature things they've done in a while.  
  
"Why isn't the professor here? This shouldn't be happening!" I hiss.  
  
"If you try to stop them, then YOU'LL be the one running around the dungeons like a shmuck," Lily warns.  
  
"What do you SEE in him anyway?" I ask.  
  
"Well. he's sensitive, mature, and intelligent," Lily says fondly. Mr. "Sensitive, Mature and Intelligent" tackles his Slytherin pal, Pettigrew, and smears frog brains all over his face and in his hair, while laughing hysterically.  
  
The dungeon door handle jiggles. "Effacitus!" Potter whispers, and the frog brains dissapear entirely. He and Pettigrew rush to their seats, and all four troublemakers fold their hands on top of their desks.  
  
A tall witch with long black hair and a menacing look on her face enters. She looks frightening in all white robes, as her expression is far from angelic.  
  
"Where's Professor McShane?" I call out.  
  
"Professor - McShane did you say - is no longer teaching at this school," the witch explains curtly. She seems rather unpleasant.  
  
"That can't be true! They can't just sack him!" I exclaim. Professor McShane- SACKED? That can't possibly be! I bet it was because of Black and Potter and the Veritaserum? I can't believe this! One incident and my favorite teacher is gone. for good!  
  
"It is true, girl. My name is Professor Pugsley, and I will be teaching Potions from now on. I've heard that this group is quite a handful. and I can see why. Girl!" Professor Pugsley looks straight at me. "What's your name?"  
  
"Rosalind Perry," I say, not meeting her eye.  
  
"Well, Rosalind Perry, you've just lost your house ten points for speaking without being recognized."  
  
I can't believe this. In all my years at this school, I've never lost a single point for Gryffindor, ever, and now I have. All because of Potter and Black trying to protect themselves.  
  
The lesson doesn't go much better for me at all. I spend half the class fighting back tears as I try to make a mandrake restorative draught. I not only manage to cut my finger and the mandrakes improperly (Professor Pighead Pugsley took off a further ten points as she had bought the mandrakes pre-silenced at a steep price because most mandrakes are home grown for about a year and it's a messy pain as they're killers), but for the first time in my life, melt a cauldron which only idiots like Pettigrew usually do. Not just any cauldron, my family's heirloom silver cauldron, with designs carved around the outside. My mum only trusted me with it at the beginning of the term, because I swore it would be in good hands and now it's ruined, completely ruined.  
  
"Look at this mess!" Professor Pugsley yells. "Ah, Perry, I should have known. That's twenty you've lost for Gryffindor, and you've got yourself a detention."  
  
Today has to be the very first time I've ever looked forward to leaving potions. Now I know why other students have said doubling up the class is painful, as opposed to eliminating the set-up and take down time.  
  
"Look on the bright side, Rosalind," Lily says after I emerge from Hell to discover that I shall be cleaning bedpans with my toothbrush on Tuesday night. "At least Dumbledore restored Professor McShane's five hundred points!"  
  
"And gave them another FIFTY for getting him sacked!" I fume. "Doesn't Pugsley realize that people who are ILL use those bedpans when they are ILL? I don't mean vomit either. This is my toothbrush we're talking here!"  
  
"We'll get you a new one, okay?" Lily says soothingly.  
  
"It's stupid Black and Potter's fault that this witch is charge!" I gripe. "She hates me! Those two, they've taken everything from me! First Renée, then you, and now my potions!"  
  
"Look, Rosalind- if you're that upset, why don't you talk to James about this. He'd at least do something!" Lily says impatiently.  
  
"What's he going to do? Bring him back? He can't do that! His daddy died, so he's can't run the school. Ow!" My foot sinks knee deep into the trick step.  
  
"I know he can't bring Professor McShane back. But if he can't at least help you with Veronica, or anything, he'd apologize to you at the very least," Lily says matter-of-factly as she puts down her bag and helps me out.  
  
"Why would he do a thing like that? Oh, all right," I grumble "I'll only talk to him because you want me to, all right?"  
  
"That's good enough for me. I'm Lily, not Juliet Capulette. I don't need a mess between the people I care about."  
  
"Lily, who's Juliet Capulette?" I ask as we reach the Entrance Hall.  
  
"Well, she's a character in this really famous muggle play called, Romeo and Juliet. It's about these two people, Romeo and Juliet, whose familes hate each other, so they were too thick to admit they got hitched, even though you can tell from the story the parents wouldn't have been angry. Instead, they attempt to run off with each other, and then they wind up dead," Lily explains.  
  
I stop short. "Are you trying to tell me something?"  
  
"Not really, but now that you mention it, be civil with James. For me?" Lily asks.  
  
"Just for you, Lily," I say as we enter the noisy hall. "Wonder what's for lunch?" "Smells like turkey curry- I can't really tell, " Lily says sniffing. Her nose is all stuffed up, she should go see Madam Pomfrey. "Hey, look, Potter's already here. You can talk to him NOW."  
  
Lily pushes me in the back all the way up to Potter and his friends, who are busy shoveling in their lunch like the immature idiots they are. "Oy, Potter, we need to talk," I say.  
  
Potter looks up at me, and then gives Black a very sharp elbow in the ribs.  
  
"Rosalind, will you go to the Noël Night with me?"  
  
The entire hall goes silent at Black's words. 


	9. And Then...

a/n James Potter is a chaser. Rowling confirmed it in an interview that you can still read on Scholastic's webpage. I don't care what the movie says. It's wrong.  
  
"I still can't believe that I have detention. This is so unfair! I've never gotten it before in my life. Now I'm never going to get a job in the Department of Magical Law because I don't have a clean record!" I tell Lily.  
  
"Look, Ros I doubt that the Ministry will refuse to hire you because you got ONE detention because of ONE incident when you were seventeen," Lily counters, banging her hand on the table we were working on in the common room each time she say the word "one."  
  
"But, Lily, you don't KNOW anyone who's applied for a job at the Ministry. There's this gigantic entrance exam, and magical competency text that makes the N.E.W.T.S. look like our first year," I explain, not too patiently. "My Uncle Frederick's the smartest person I know, and even he couldn't get a job there." I slam "One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi" closed, then grab "Making Mandrake Magic," which I picked up this afternoon, and flick to a section about proper cooking instructions. It turns out that it's pretty easy to melt cauldrons with Mandrakes, which is why potions with them are so advanced, not to mention potent.  
  
"Hey," Lily says as though struck by a sudden thought. "Do you remember Bertha Jorkins?"  
  
"Is she the girl who graduated three years back, who ended up in the hospital wing when Snape hexed her after he found out she saw him kissing some girl behind the greenhouses?" I ask.  
  
"Yep," Lily says with a laugh. "And Snape hasn't kissed anyone since he scared away poor Florence. In any case, I heard recently that Bertha got a job with the Ministry."  
  
"Pardon?" Bertha? At the Ministry? Oh good God, what's happening to our government? I groan. "She must have known someone."  
  
"ROSALIND!" A voice shrieks behind me. Winnie Frank pushes her way around the common room, which is empty as it's lunch hour, and runs toward Lily and me, bookstrap flailing. "I've heard!"  
  
"Heard what Winnie?" I ask innocently.  
  
"Well, I didn't see it HAPPEN but I overheard Sirius Black tell James Potter he was going to ask you to the dance at lunch today," Winnie gushes, "So congratulations, you must be thrilled!"  
  
"Winnie, I turned Black down,"  
  
"You did what? But he's -HIM- you can't just-" Winnie breaks off as she realizes the implications of what I have done, and shrieks all too loudly. "I LOVE YOU ROSALIND PERRY!" She throws her arms around me.  
  
"Erm- Winnie?" I say softly, "I turned Black down because I despise him, not because I don't date men, which I DO."  
  
"That's okay. I don't care if you hate him, he still might ask me now," Winnie says happily. Her arms are still wrapped around me.  
  
"I meant for you to get off me," I hiss. Thankfully she does.  
  
"Rosalind? Why did you turn down Sirius? Really? You can't possibly hate him as much as you say you do, do you?" Winnie asks.  
  
"Well. to be honest, you can't hate anyone that much. But I did mean what I said after astronomy class about NOT wanting to go with him. Everyone knows he only asked me to the Noël Night because Potter asked Lily. And yesterday, I might have said "yes"- for Lily's sake. But not today, not after I'd found he'd gotten my favorite teacher in the entire world fired!" I explode. "And now there's that Pugsley witch, who's well. a witch! And it's all their fault! Why else would Professor McShane leave, he's been teaching here for the last forty or so years? He's a respected staff member. I should have known! I saw Black and Potter in Professor Dumbledore's office complaining about him when I was doing some prefect stuff. No influence my-"  
  
"Look, Rosalind, you can't really blame them, can you?" Winnie says delicately.  
  
I thrust my fist impatiently into "Making Mandrake Magic." "Did you not hear a word I said?"  
  
I'll give Winnie credit for this: she may be one of the most annoying people I know, but she isn't thick. "Look, Rosalind, I'm just happy you told him 'no', and I'll leave it there. Is there anything I can do for you?"  
  
I'm halfway between deciding whether I should say, "never talk to me again," or "murder Sirius Black," when Lily buts in. "You know, Winnie, when Rosalind told Sirius and the rest of the school that she'd rather go with a dementor than him, the whole of the Great Hall began to stare. Then we'd figured we'd leave lunch and come here. We didn't get to eat much of anything. Would you nip back up there and pick up some sandwiches and tea bags-if you can?"  
  
Winnie nods, then runs toward the portrait hole. "Just don't get any corned beef. It's gross!" I call after her just before the tears begin to flow. I begin to take some notes on the fine art of mandrake slicing, while Lily does some thing I can't see with a piece of parchment. After a few minutes, she shows it to me. It's a picture of Professor Pugsley captioned "decorate."  
  
Laughing hysterically I wipe the tears from my eyes and get out all my colored inks. I give Professor Pugsley two black eyes, facial hair and torn robes, break her jewelry, split her lip and add horns, a pitchfork and spiked tail as the finishing touches.  
  
"Perfect," Lily says between sniggers. "Let's go mount it." I follow her up the spiral staircase to our deserted dormitory where she tacks it on the wall. We both burst out laughing.  
  
"LILY? ROSALIND? WHERE ARE YOU?" bellows a voice from below.  
  
"We're up here, Winnie!" Lily shouts down the stairs.  
  
Winnie comes up carrying a plate of sandwiches, some tea bags and sugar. "That's ruddy brilliant," she says when she sees my artwork. "Just like her."  
  
Lily takes the three tea bags, puts them each in a goblet, fills them with water from the jug under the window, and then heats the water to boil with a tap of her wand.  
  
Winnie seems to be bouncing up and down as she practically dumps half the sugar bowl into her goblet. "You'll never guess, not in a million years, who Black asked to the Noël Night."  
  
I get it in half a second.  
  
"Isn't it GREAT?" Winnie gushes.  
  
"He got over ME rather quickly," I say, biting into a sandwich that's thankfully not corned beef. "I told you he only asked me because of Lily."  
  
"Hey, maybe Remus Lupin will ask you and it will be a triple date," Winnie suggests, gulping her tea.  
  
"No, Winnie."  
  
* * *  
  
Now that Black has his date boys have been asking girls as if the dance was tomorrow and not three weeks away. At least Hagrid's bringing in the Christmas trees today. Veronica's become intolerable again, so Lily's made me another picture to "decorate," and now that one is hanging up with Professor Pugsley. She actually seems to think that I can be expelled for what I've "done to her." I'm not exactly sure what rules I've violated though. Every time I see her I want to scream "It's LILY! HE'S DATING LILY!" but I can't. She's always been there for me, especially in Potions, so I can't bear to hurt her anymore. She gets enough slack as it is from the Slytherins who know who Potter is REALLY dating. "Lily loves James and James loves Lily, She's so square and he's so silly," is just one of the mature verses that she gets pelted with ever since she and Potter had their "talk." I don't need to add to her problems.  
  
A snowy owl drops a bright red envelope on the toast that I'm buttering. "I'm not opening that," I say to no one in particular after the letter sits there for a minute or two, untouched.  
  
"Never got one of those before, have you, Perry?" Black says a few places down as smoke begins to pour from the letter. He hasn't been entirely nice to me since I turned him down in front of the school over two weeks ago.  
  
"Of course not."  
  
"Open it. It's for your own good," Black says.  
  
"Why should I? It's probably from Veronica," I fold my arms across my chest.  
  
"Why would she send YOU anything?" The letter begins to shake. Black hurtles himself on the table and reaches down, landing flat in several students' syrupy pancakes, a bowl of marmalade, and a plate of sausages, and knocks over a full jug of pumpkin juice, as he tears the letter open.  
  
A huge explosion rocks the Great Hall. Now everyone is hearing how happy my mother is that I melted her cauldron. I duck under the table but everyone knows it's me as my mum keeps shouting ROSALIND PERRY every ten seconds. Smart of her, really.  
  
"Thanks a lot, Black," I grumble. "You got your revenge, embarrassing ME in front of the whole of the Great Hall."  
  
"Excuse me, Perry, but do you even KNOW what happens if you chose not to open a Howler? If I weren't eating here too, I would have let you find out," Black snaps. "So let me get this straight: I ruin my weekend clothes to help you, and this is how you thank me? You could have got the Howler a on uniform day." Black does have a small point: his muggle-style denim shirt now has a whole piece of toast stuck on it, and the entire thing is soaked and stained in pumpkin juice with spots of marmalade all over. The weekends are the only times we don't need to wear our robes. I'm not going to tell him that I agree though.  
  
Black scoops up some marmalade off his shirt and flings it at me. It gets me square in the face.  
  
"That was uncalled for," I hiss, wiping my face. At least nothing hits my angora sweater.  
  
"You idiot. You're supposed to fling some catsup at me, hit James, and start a food fight," Black says.  
  
"Too bad, Black," I turn on my heel and walk out of the Great Hall. Does he honestly think that I'm going to do what he wants?  
  
"Hey Rosalind!" Lily shouts after me, carrying some toast. "Starting a diet?"  
  
"Excuse me?" We step out into the Entrance Hall  
  
"You've run out on two meals this month because of Sirius Black. You're going to lose some serious weight if you keep it up," Lily teases.  
  
"That's not funny, Lily."  
  
"Well, here's some toast, then. I need to send an owl, want to come?" Lily says.  
  
"What for?" I say, mouth full of toast.  
  
"I need to tell my mum and dad I'm not coming home for Christmas," Lily explains as we climb the marble staircase.  
  
When we reach the owlry, we walk toward the north part of the tower to borrow a school owl for Lily. I don't come to the owlry much. It smells like all the dead mice and other rodents that owls hunt for, then leave to rot on the straw-covered floor.  
  
"There aren't any owls left," Lily says. She's right. The only thing anywhere near an owl here are owl pellets. "They must be carrying messages from everyone who wants to stay over for the Noël Night and can't make it home." I think this is the first time that Lily won't be going home for the holidays. I've visited her house once. It's rather weird, but Lily loves it (despite her sister).  
  
"Just use my owl, then," I say. My little brother in Hufflepuff and I both share an owl, Powell (Orlando named him, not me). Powell is more Orlando's than mine, but I can use him whenever I want.  
  
"Thanks, Ros," Lily says. We head over to the south side of the owlry, where all the student-owned owls live to find Powell. Fortunately, he's there, waiting. I'm helping Lily tie the letter to Powell properly, when the owlry door opens. It's Veronica.  
  
"Oh NO," I say. I don't need this.  
  
"Just slip out of here," Lily hisses. I do. Veronica doesn't see me. Five minutes later, Lily joins me in the Entrance.  
  
"What did she want?" I ask.  
  
"Well," Lily says, "she doesn't have an owl of her own, so she's waiting for one to return. She wants to send something she called a- a Howler- is that right?" I look down. "Well?"  
  
"You know what I got today at breakfast from my mum? That would be a Howler." Lily shudders. "I have a feeling I know who it's going to be going to, too." I add.  
  
"You really should talk to James. Now." Lily's voice has a rare finality to it. "Let's go."  
  
* * *  
  
Potter has to be the most impossible person to find in the entire school. Lily and I have checked the library, the Great Hall, the Gryffindor common room, classes of various teachers on his schedule, Hagrid's and then gone all about the corridors.  
  
"This is getting ridiculous," I say, as I flop down into an armchair in the common room, frozen from almost an hour of relentless searching.  
  
"What's ridiculous, Rosalind?" A voice says from behind me. It's Winnie, playing gobstones with Betty the sixth year.  
  
"I can't find Potter anywhere, and I've looked everywhere," I explain.  
  
"Did you check the library?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"The Great Hall?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Here?"  
  
"Yes." Winnie proceeds to name everywhere that I've already checked.  
  
"Hmmmm. How about the quidditch pitch?" She says finally.  
  
"The QUIDDITCH pitch? It's December! The next game isn't for months. It's too cold and I'm near a fire!" I exclaim.  
  
"Well, Potter's just like that I guess. I found him out there when I went to the locker room to pick up a book I left there once. He never seems to stop practicing at all, even during the winter off-season. He stays longer than we do, and that's saying something," Winnie explains. I always forget she's on Gryffindor quidditch team. It's because Winnie never talks about it constantly or brags about it like Potter does. She's a really tough up there in the sky, as she's a beater, but on the ground, she's the prissiest girl I know. "He wants to win the cup more than anything this year. I do too, but for Potter it's an obsession. He needs to beat Snape for the cup one last time. You'd think that-"  
  
"Thanks, Winnie," I say. That's enough of quidditch talk for me.  
  
* * *  
  
Lily, who's as cold as I am, flatly refuses to go outside and walk all the way across the grounds to the pitch. So I walk alone, freezing, hoping against hope that Potter is still out there and my trip wasn't entirely in vain. Winnie does turn out to be right about Potter and practicing, because as I enter the stadium, I watch Potter score a goal from well outside the scoring area, then Summon the quaffle back into his gloved hands, an impressive move.  
  
"OY!" I shout.  
  
Potter's cloaked body turns to look back at me, and then speeds towards the pitch at an alarming rate until Potter stops the broom at about ten feet up and looks down at me. His cheeks are a swollen red color. "Per- Rosalind? What're you doing here?"  
  
"We need to talk," I say as the steam rises from my breath, then vanishes into thin air.  
  
"Erm- sure. But let's go into the locker rooms. It's cold out here." Potter touches down on the snow-covered ground and dismounts his Cleansweep.  
  
"You just now noticed that it's cold?" I say incredulously.  
  
Ignoring me, Potter opens the door to the locker rooms and gestures me inside. The Gryffindor locker room isn't the most homey place. There are some benches, an easel for holding diagrams and stuff, showers, toilets and private places to change. Typical locker room furnishings. Everything is old and wooden, and the air has a dank, moldy feel to it. Potter picks up a rusted iron cauldron and lights a fire with his wand.  
  
"So, Rosalind, what can I do for you?" He asks, sitting down on a bench.  
  
"I've been having problems with Veronica," I say. Potter takes a deep breath and Hagrid's words come back to me: "There aren't too many people who have a heart when dealing with people they don' like."  
  
"What sort of problems?" All of a sudden, I feel rather stupid talking to Potter like this.  
  
"I. well- she thinks I'm Lily, and that I've stolen you from her, and she's been harassing me," I blurt out.  
  
"Slow down there," Potter says with a laugh, but a laugh that does not seem menacing at all. "So, Veronica thinks you're Lily, and that you're the reason that I am not dating her anymore, and likewise has taken out on you?"  
  
I nod. "Not to mention that she's stolen my most favorite possessions, this action figure that I got at the World Cup. She's also going to send me a howler"  
  
Potter sighs deeply. "Oh dear, I'll have to talk to her."  
  
"So what I do about all this?" I say.  
  
"Just. go about your business. Do your homework, play gobstones, rat on people - on second though, DON'T rat on people. I'll take care of everything."  
  
"Erm-thanks."  
  
Author's Notes (and apologies):  
  
Sorry for the delay, but I did try to write this as quickly and well as I could. (I literally wrote the last one in day and I think that it shows). I originally was planning to add another, important scene in this chapter (aka putting the L/J back in the L/J fic), but it's going to take me several more days, considering work and summer assignments that I have neglecting all summer long. Besides this chapter is extra long as it is, and if I took the extra days you all would have found my house and hacked into my computer.  
  
Okay, on to important stuff. At least half of you are ready to murder me for Rosalind saying "no" to poor Sirius. He DID only ask Rosalind because of James. In all honesty, I didn't originally plan on Sirius asking Rosalind at all, as the true antagonist in this story is Rosalind herself. I've tried very hard to keep Rosalind as far away as possible from the Mary Sue syndrome and self-insertion (guilty in parts), and double dating would just about toss her over the edge. Besides, her SUDDENLY liking Sirius, is out of character for someone who has been annoyed with Sirius for the past 6 ½ or so years, and is ripping mad at him.  
  
Another, weirder note, is that I stole the picture decorating idea from my life. After an incident that I will not bore you with, I was crying my eyes out in the middle of math class. My friend Raewyn passed me notes the whole time and then a hand drawn picture of the offending student labeled "decorate." It really made me feel better, and it's a tribute to the brilliant Raewyn. 


	10. Some Sneaky Peeky Spying

* * *  
  
I'm not sure what James Potter did or said, but I haven't gotten any remarks (or Howlers) at all from Veronica at all, despite the fact that I've seen her around school several times in the past two weeks. Whatever he did must have worked. It's a major improvement, but then again I haven't gotten an apology, or my Renée back. Lily has been disappearing at night and during breaks, and I don't believe it's because she's talking to Professor Flitwick. I'm not Lily's boss, but she wasn't even there when Donald Finch asked me to the Noël Night yesterday morning, which bothered me quite a bit. I couldn't even find her for the next two hours. Quite frankly, I've been a bit lonely, though I don't think I will ever make another mistake with mandrakes, ever again.  
  
I pick up "Making Mandrake Magic," "Keeping Your Cauldron Uncooked," "Different Delightfully Difficult Potions," and "Rare Restoratives," off of my bedside table. I might as well get rid of them, as not only have I memorized them all since Lily hasn't been around to distract me, but I have since passed my end of term test with flying colors. Professor Pugsley tried to fail me by saying that I was breathing on the potion ingredients while preparing them. The entire class actually ganged up on her, both Slytherin and Gryffindor, to say it was unfair. I was rather flattered.  
  
I pick up my stack and walk down the spiral staircase. As I step out into the Common Room I see the portrait hole close with a flick of red hair. Lily! I drop my stack of books on the stairs and push my way through the Friday evening crowd to catch up with her.  
  
I peer down the hallway out the portrait hole. I see Lily's back retreating along with Potter. Getting a sudden idea, I decide to follow them down the corridor. I keep about twenty feet behind them, tiptoeing as the pair crawl through holes and slid behind tapestries to get into passages I didn't even realized existed. Within two minutes, they are at the Entrance Hall. Potter opens a door and they go down stone steps. I peer through the doorway after them, and can see the light from the brightly lit corridor below. Potter reaches to touch something hanging on the stone wall, likely a painting. It is indeed a painting, and I can see it swing forward to admit Lily and Potter. Apparently, both live in a barn as the portrait hole fails to completely close behind them. I run down the stairs and peer into the room where Lily and Potter have entered. The room is vast, as vast as the Great Hall, even with four long tables. Unlike the Great Hall, the room is littered with pots and pans and cooking things, so this must be the kitchens. Lily and Potter are on the far end of the room, surrounded by short little creatures all with huge ears and eyes that are the size of a small ball, thus paying no attention to me. Each wears a tea towel like a toga, stamped with something that looks like the school crest. They must be house-elves. I did hear somewhere some time ago that house-elves do all the school's dirty work, but I've never seen one before, in Hogwarts or out.  
  
Potter says something I don't catch, but it must be a request for food, because a horde of elves rush up to him with a huge platter of desserts, which Potter and Lily take. I watch, entranced as Potter converses with one house-elf. After some time, the elf bows, and Potter waves good-bye. He and Lily walk towards the hole, when I realize that I am going to be seen. I take a quick step back out of their view, and bump into something. I turn around to look at what I hit, but there is nothing anywhere, neither statue, nor soul, nor cat.  
  
"Hey!" a voice hisses from nowhere. Still, I see nothing, but on instinct, I lunge at where I heard the voice. I hit something hard, and I hear a stifled cry.  
  
"Stop it, or you'll be seen!" the disembodied voice says. My heart begins to pound.  
  
"What in the-" I begin, but a large hand from out of nowhere clamps over my mouth. "mm-mmm" I try to say, but no words can come out of my mouth. I lick the hand, but instead of letting go, it rubs my salvia over my face.  
  
I hear a rustling of parchment, and then some silvery material is draped over me, just as Lily and Potter should be able to be see me. Weirdly they don't react at all, but Lily makes a comment about having never gone to the kitchens before.  
  
The hand is still clamped over my mouth. I twist around to take a look at what has hold of me. To my utter shock, it is none other than Black himself.  
  
"You make a terrible spy," he growls so that only I can hear. "Rule number one: always leave yourself an out. Fat lot of fun it would have been if your best friend finds you followed her."  
  
"And what are YOU doing here, Black?"  
  
"Nothing." Hypocrite.  
  
"How come they can't see us?"  
  
"Because this is an Invisibility Cloak, James's actually," Black says. "Come on, they're going. You've got to walk with me to stay under it."  
  
I must say, walking under a cloak, much less an actual invisibility cloak, with Sirius Black was a rather interesting experience. As both of us are seventeen and the size of adults, the cloak was somewhat tight around us, so I was forced to walk rather close with Black. He insists that it can fit four people, but that can't be. It would be completely horrible, but fortunately Black smells rather nice, so I don't actually mind. It's really very cozy near him.  
  
We follow Lily and Potter through various secret passages and up into the towers of the school. Black makes me take off my boots and leave them behind a statue, because they make a noise when I step onto the marble floor. I realize that Black himself is wearing several pairs of sordid socks, and no shoes at all. He offers me an extra pair but I doubt his socks smell as nice as the rest of him, so I flatly refuse.  
  
Finally, after twenty minutes of walking together with us secretly following, Lily and James stop and go into Professor Flitwick's classroom. Potter unlocks a cabinet and takes out some cushions, which I recognize as the ones that Flitwick uses to teach Banishing Charms to fourth years.  
  
They sit down on the large window ledge with their cushions and a fire, while Black and I sit outside the classroom on the cold, hard floor in the drafty corridor, which is, as Black informed me, the closest we're getting to them and their fire. Apparently it is not safe to be in the same room as them, despite the fact that they can't see us. I hug my knees to keep warm as I watch Lily and Potter talk together.  
  
"Pie?" Potter asks Lily.  
  
"Mmm, sure," she says was a giggle. "Is this how you get the food for parties?"  
  
"Mostly," Potter says, passing her a slice. I can feel Sirius Black holding his breath. "But the Honeydukes candies, I get them. at Honeydukes of course, erm- ahead of time." Black lets out his breath. I get the feeling that Potter isn't mentioning something.  
  
"What would you do if you lose the match?" Lily asks almost immediately.  
  
"I- well, that's never happened before. I guess I'd throw a party anyway, for the hell of it," Potter says.  
  
"So you'd throw a party even if you lose?"  
  
"Yep, but I don't lose," he says with an air of annoying superiority. He looks out the window. "Look at the stars tonight. Beautiful, huh?"  
  
"Yeah," Lily says. She leans up towards Potter. "Did you know that centaurs use the stars to tell the future? I wonder what they say.."  
  
"I hope they say that Voldemort isn't going to do anymore than he's done already," Potter says wistfully. "It's just terrible, all these killings, and .- and it tears open my heart every time I hear something else has happened. Remember that huge muggle killing in September? I knew one of the old muggle women killed. She was a neighbor of mine when I lived in London. A sweet old lady. She didn't deserve that. But they did it anyway." Potter's voice has a bitter edge to it.  
  
"The weird thing is, that when I visited Diagon Alley after I got my letter, the wizarding world seemed to be a utopia. It doesn't seem that way anymore. Maybe it's that I'm growing up, and it's always been this way everywhere and I couldn't see it, or maybe I've just gotten the bad luck to live and die when I do. Either way, people are dying all around me, muggle and wizard alike. Since I've started reading the papers, I've heard more stories about killings, people being put under control and terror to last me a thousand years. What's worse, is the fact that I know that there are students in this school who support this completely. Some days, I don't know if I even want to BE a part of the wizarding world after I leave school. Powerful people are dying left and right, and I don't want to protect just myself by living far away in a deep, dark muggle corner with my mum, dad and sister. I don't want to just ring Rosalind every five years, to ask if the war is still going on, not really caring about it at all, as it doesn't concern me, because it does. But what can I even do? With the imperious curse, you can't even trust anyone. When I went to Hogsmeade in October, I got funny looks from strangers in the street. I don't know what they were thinking, but these people weren't the people I remember that first time in Diagon Ally." Lily looks as if she has tears in her eyes.  
  
"I don't know what to think anymore either," Potter says softly. "At least at school, there are some constants." He leans up close against Lily, and she puts her arm around him.  
  
Lily says something that I can't hear, likely romantic, because to my utter shock, she kisses him square on the lips.  
  
"EW, gross!" I mutter.  
  
"Never seen two people kiss before, Perry?" Black barks.  
  
"What? Of course I have," I snap. "I've seen far worse in fact. It's just that.."  
  
"One of the parties involved has your best friend's face," he finishes for me. I look at Sirius Black, startled. "I know what you mean. This is weird for me too. I've known James for the past twelve years, and I've never seen him like this before, not ever. He's been going scatterbrained on me all week, forgetting things and being late left and right. It's like something came over him, I guess it's . love."  
  
"Or lust," I say, peering over at them. "They need a room."  
  
"They HAVE a room," Black says. "Let's leave them to it. Besides I have work to do."  
  
####  
  
Author's note: That chapter was short, but I don't know when I can post (or write) again for at least the next week or so considering I am not allowed to do anything online (I'm sneaking to finish this right now) until my PILE of summer homework is done, at least in large doses. Then there's the whole matter of school and more piles of homework. I will try to get as much up as I can write or think of and maybe get to this damn dance!  
  
PS bored? r/r another of my stories, they don't bite (except for the Lupin one) 


	11. Dropping Dumgbombs

"I've been waiting to go to Hogsmeade for weeks," Lily explains to me as we ride in the moldy carriage that takes us away from the castle and out to Hogsmeade, the local village, for the annual end of term visit. "I didn't even realize until after James asked me to the dance that I'd neglected to get anything at all." Lily's voice bubbles with excitement, and she is swinging her legs. Unfortunately, Lily is directly across from me in the coach, and I have been kicked twice, no, make that three times. Lily seems quite keen on the subject of the dance and "James." I don't mention anything to Lily about last night.  
  
"I haven't bought anything either," I say instead.  
  
"Wow!" says Winnie who is seated next to Lily. "I thought I was the only one who didn't get her things yet. Betty got hers in August. But the Hogsmeade Gladrags has a far better selection than the one in London." Winnie pauses then starts up again, "Maybe we could coordinate our outfits."  
  
"No," I say flatly. "Besides, what looks good on me may not suit both of you. It would be boring," I add quickly to avoid evil looks from Winnie. The carriage jerks to a stop in the village square, and we hop out into the blustery snowfall. I shiver as all the warms accumulated in the coach is sucked from my body in an instant, and pull my cloak more tightly around me.  
  
"Which way to Gladrags?" Lily asks. Winnie points to the east. "Shall we run, it's awful out here?"  
  
Instead of answering I break off into a sprint towards the store. Lily and Winnie follow. Within minutes we reach the store and step inside.  
  
I love Gladrags. It's got everything you could possibly want from hats to coats, lovely to lurid. Last Christmas, I got my dad a pair of socks that screamed when they got smelly. I walk over to a display of quidditch teams to see if I can find Wigtown Wanderers.  
  
"Come on, Rosalind, the dress robes are over here," Winnie says, looking at the racks of girls' dress robes.  
  
"These look a bit big," Lily says, picking up a lacy orange on that look I hope she doesn't pick.  
  
"What?" I say. Sometimes I forget that Lily's a muggle-born, since she's been a witch for six and a half years. "Oh-dress robes aren't sold by size. Pick the color and style you like and then when you bring it to the counter, they'll make it fit you."  
  
"I see," Lily says. She picks her way through the rack, then stops. "This is hard. When I've gone dress shopping with my mum and Petunia, we usually find our sizes first, then pick out the cheapest thing that I don't hate. Now I don't even know where to begin."  
  
"Don't worry about the money, Lily," Winnie says. "This is the Noël Night! You've only got the one, and you have to have the best of everything. Period. Besides, James is taking you, so everyone will be looking at what you are wearing. And if they don't like what they see, they'll say something." Lily's eyes widen.  
  
"Nice, Winnie, scare the poor girl out of her wits," I snap.  
  
"It's a fact, Rosalind, and nothing can be done about it. So, are you going to give these people reason to complain or not?" Winnie says sharply. I scowl. "I'd go with something green if I were you. You're a redhead, and redheads wear green. That notwithstanding, remember how James said he likes your eyes? We need to get something that matches them.."  
  
I zone out Winnie as I scour the racks. I pick up some midnight blue robes, but put them back when I see the price. Maybe this yellow one.  
  
"No! Rosalind!" Winnie shrieks at me. "Put that down! Don't even try it, you're too pale to year a yellow like that! You need something much brighter. These blue ones would be perfect." She picks up the robes I just put back.  
  
"Too expensive." I say.  
  
"Oh fine!" Winnie rips through the racks. "You're no fun. The cheapest one you don't hate, eh? This one's it then." She tosses me bright red robes that look nice. I take a look at the price and like them more. "I'll take them, but now I have to pick yours, Winnie."  
  
"Hey!" I close my eyes and run my hand over the rack to grab a hanger. I open my eyes to find myself handing Winnie a beautiful sky blue gown.  
  
She holds them up to her, facing the tall, narrow mirror. "Looking good!" it chirps. The mirror is right. It does go well with Winnie's sharp, dark features.  
  
"Now THAT'S magic," Winnie says with a smile.  
  
"How's this?" Lily asks. Despite the fact we told her not to, Lily had decided to try on the robes, anyway. The size isn't too off, and I'm stunned. The robes are a green silk that exactly match Lily's eyes. If I were a boy, I'd say she looked gorgeous. The mirror whistles.  
  
"That's . far out." Winnie says. "Now for the jewelry, purse and shoes."  
  
* * *  
  
"I still can't believe that I was able to afford my Christmas shopping after that," I say in the coach ride up to the school.  
  
"I still can't believe you bought Wanderer socks," Winnie says.  
  
"So? My dad likes them," I say.  
  
"Harpies are better."  
  
"Oh shut up." I shift my pile of boxes so I don't have to stare at Winnie's Harpy loving face.  
  
"Sirius Black likes the Harpies," Winnie says behind my shopping.  
  
"He would," I say with a smirk. "Bet he likes them even more on windy match day."  
  
"Rosalind!" Winnie says indignantly.  
  
The carriage come to a halt, and I abandon my parcels to be brought up later, as Winnie, Lily and I walk up to the castle.  
  
"Does anything smell funny to you?" Lily asks. Her cold's gone away now, but unfortunately, she gave it to me. I smell nothing.  
  
Despite that, I certainly begin to smell something, the moment I step into the Entrance Hall.  
  
"What IS that smell?" Winnie asks. The question is purely rhetorical. I don't need to tell either of them it's dungbombs. Lots of dungbombs.  
  
"Ask your dates," I gag.  
  
"Let's go," Lily says through a pinched nose. "They can't have gotten everywhere."  
  
Unfortunately, that is not the case. There is no refuge from the putrid air of poop anywhere in the castle. Not in the Great Hall, the common room, the library, the dungeons, the owlry, any classroom, the trophy room, the Prefect's bathroom, the boys' toilets, the staffroom. (I heard Professor Flitwick outside it griping to Professor Vector that even Dumbledore's office smells), and even some secret spots I know of around the castle. Eventually we just went back to the common room as it smells no more horrible than anywhere else, according to Lily, who has the curse of a perfectly working nose.  
  
"They actually dungbombed the entire school," I groan. "Some Christmas present."  
  
"They did buy a thousand dungbombs," Lily says with a sigh. "I'm going to go wrap presents." She stands up.  
  
"Good idea," I say. "I'll come too."  
  
"No you won't," she says firmly.  
  
"Okay," she must be wrapping my present with them. "Tell me when you're done so I can do mine."  
  
No sooner does Lily leave than does Sirius Black come and sit down in her vacant seat.  
  
He takes a deep breath and says, "Smell that fresh air, Perry?"  
  
"What fresh air, Sirius?" I ask. "That has to be the most vile and brainless thing you've done to date."  
  
"I never said I was responsible for anything, Perry." Black says with and evil grin. "It wasn't entirely brainless. In fact, if I do say so myself: It was one of our most brilliant pranks to date. Do you know how much planning went into it?"  
  
I shake my head.  
  
"Well, first, did you notice that the smell is equally dispersed throughout the entire castle? There's no refuge, anywhere, I promise you that. Think about that. The dungbombs would have to be evenly placed thought the school, Every tower, dorm, common room and passage had to have some. Think about how well, the people who placed these things had to know the passages and passwords, just to place them perfectly."  
  
"Let me guess," I say. "You did that."  
  
"Nah, James picked out where they all should go. He's the one with them mathematical mind." Sirius says.  
  
"I bet there aren't any dungbombs in your dormitory," I say.  
  
"Actually," Black says, "there are. Wouldn't be fair without them."  
  
I stand up. "That was all very interesting, but I need to get some fresh air. Now."  
  
I leave the common room as quickly as I can, but it does nothing as the whole castle smells equally like dung. I head out the front doors into the fresh sweet air and take a deep loud breath.  
  
"Can't take the air, either?" a voice says. It takes a moment for me to recognize the speaker. She's that Slytherin girl I know by face, but haven't talked to all of my seven years at Hogwarts. She's alone, which is why I can't think of her name. Usually, she's in the arms of her boyfriend as she has been since second year. I do remember his name: Lestrange, which he certainly lives up to.  
  
I just gape at her, wandering where her pet boy went, but she takes my blank look for an assent, and says, "It's terrible in there. How many dungbombs did stupid black, stupid Potter, stupid Lupin, and stupid Wormtail blow?"  
  
"Who says they did it?" I say, suddenly defensive.  
  
"Who else did it?" she says derisively. "Who else would be weird enough to drop dungbombs everywhere, including the girls' dormitory?" "They did our dormitory, too," I say bitterly. It's weird talking to Lestrange's girlfriend. I usually consider her a snot, but I guess she's being nice to me now that we share the sisterhood of the dungflavored dormitories.  
  
"It's actually. brilliant in a way." I say.  
  
"It you think torturing innocents is brilliant, sure," she says with a snort.  
  
"No, I mean, did you ever stop to think how they pulled it all off? Sirius Black told me that all then dungbombs were evenly spaced everywhere in the castle," I say.  
  
"That's impossible," that girlfriend says. "We went to wait outside of Rosier's divination class for the first time on the last Monday of the term, and we didn't know where the class was held. By the time we reached the North Tower, class had been over for twenty minutes. Nobody knows enough about the castle to do that. Not even Dumbledore or Filch."  
  
"I dunno, maybe they have a map," I shrug.  
  
"A map of Hogwarts? That's not even possible. Maybe Wormtail knows how they did it."  
  
"Who's Wormtail?" I ask.  
  
"Oh- Peter, Peter Pettigrew. I don't know why he likes that name, but he does. He's an oddball. Would you believe he asked Veronica Engerton to the Noël Night? I don't. She's out of his league if you ask me, but she said, 'yes.' Wormtail is so . wormy, but she did it all the same. Must be because of her ex. If I were her, that would be the only reason I'd agree to date him." She walks away leaving me to wonder why Pettigrew lets himself be called Wormtail, and how Lily is going to react when she finds out one of Potter's fans is dating her.  
  
* * *  
  
The next morning, the stench is still there, not nearly as potent, but there all the same. I wake with a start and realize that today is the first day of the holidays. To be frank, I've never stayed at Hogwarts over the holidays. What do people do, anyway? I throw on a sweater, some tartan pants, and head into the common room. A bunch of students my age are all chatting around the fire. A couple of younger students are chatting merrily in a corner, but there are mostly older students like me who have stayed on for the Noël Night.  
  
"Morning Ros," Lily says, emerging from the dormitory behind me. "I never know so many people to stay for Christmas. Must be because of the dance."  
  
"Yeah, hey, that reminds me, Lily, Veronica Icky Engerton's got a date for the dance," I say.  
  
"So?" Lily says. "Good for her. Maybe she'll get over a few things."  
  
"No, it's not like that at all, Peter Pettigrew is taking her," I explain. "Isn't he one of Potter's friends?"  
  
Lily nods gravely. "I wonder if James knows Peter is taking her."  
  
"Who cares?" I say. "It's not so much he knows that WE know."  
  
"I really think we should tell James," Lily says firmly.  
  
* * *  
  
Potter must be using that invisibility cloak that Black was wearing the night we followed Lily and James, because he isn't anywhere, not even practicing quidditch in sub-zero weather. After three hours of searching, Lily and I finally go into the Great Hall for lunch and steaming mugs of hot chocolate.  
  
"I don't know what do say, Lily, he'll turn up sooner or later." I take too large a sip of cocoa and burn my tongue. "Just be patient, hey -look! There goes Pettitgrew. Lily turns around to see him leave the Slytherin table.  
  
"Maybe he knows where James is!" Lily exclaims.  
  
"Well, just don't tell him why you're looking for Potter," I say. Lily laughs.  
  
"Hey, erm, Peter!" Lily says loudly behind him.  
  
"Oh, hi, Evans," he says squeakily. Pettigrew seems a bit uneasy around Lily. "What do you want?" He doesn't say it in an annoyed way, but rather as if he were our house-elf.  
  
"Do you know where James is?" Lily asks.  
  
"Oh, just that? Okay," Pettigrew squeaks. "James went home for Christmas, didn't you know?"  
  
Lily runs out of the hall in tears.  
  
###########  
  
Next Chapter: the dance (maybe) 


	12. Getting Ready

I've never felt so utterly helpless. Lily is lying on her bed with the curtains closed, just sobbing. I don't really know what to do. I'm never seen her like this. I remember Potter saying that he'd never betray a friend, but what he's done to Lily is nothing short of just that.  
  
"Are you sure you don't want anything?" I ask.  
  
"I want to be left alone."  
  
Quietly, I go out onto the landing. Now what? I'm halfway to the library before I remember that Madam Pince hates me. I don't spend more than a moment in the owlry before the smell becomes too much, and when I reach near where the Hufflepuff Common Room might be, I realize my brother went home for Christmas.  
  
"Oy! Perry!" shouts a booming voice that seems to echo down the corridor. "We need to talk. Where's Lily?"  
  
I turn to look at Black down the hallway and say, "She's miserable no thanks to your best friend!" then turn on my heel.  
  
"Perry, wait!" I run all the way up several flights of stairs before I reach the statue of Boris the Bewildered and a long hall of doors. Black's going to catch up with me.  
  
"Rub-a-dub-dub!" I pant. I enter the prefects' bathroom. He won't be able to find me here. Unless of course Potter gave him the password. I cross my fingers and lean against the door. Footsteps. And a curse from Black. Phew. I don't even want to look in the face of someone who's mates with the boy who made Lily so miserable. My glance falls upon a mermaid in a painting on the wall. Why does she have to be so happy?  
  
Since I'm here, I decide to take a bath. I let the tub fill with green bubbly water. I feel better, but only slightly so because sometimes I get the feeling that this bathroom is haunted.  
  
What can I do to make Lily feel better? Maybe a cheering charm. I'm horrible at those. The last time I performed that charm was on Lily for my third year Charms exam. It ended up making her so grumpy, I haven't tried it since. I sink into the water and think for a bit.  
  
All of a sudden the door the bathroom opens, and in walks Black. I swim to the side of the pool so I can get out of tub to tell him off, but realize I'd better stay in the water.  
  
"GET OUT OF HERE!"  
  
"Perry, we need to talk."  
  
"You're not a prefect and I'm naked- SO GET OUT!"  
  
"It's important."  
  
"OUT!"  
  
Black stalks outside and slams the door.  
  
I hope he didn't see anything. I don't know what he was trying to accomplish by that. No dignity at all. Does he think that walking in on someone when she is naked is a good way to have a serious conversation?  
  
* * *  
  
I manage to avoid Black for the next several days, not to mention Remus Lupin and Peter Pettigrew. Ignoring Peter was pretty easy, since I pretend not to notice him all the time. It's been and awkward five days, but I've brought Lily food, though I'm not entirely sure whether or not she's eaten any. I am sure that there are five pictures of James Potter hanging in our dormitory. All have broken glasses, black eyes and ripped robes.  
  
Winnie comes into the dormitory quietly and sits down next to me. "How long has she been doing this?" she whispers.  
  
"Five days." I say back. A big sob comes from behind Lily's curtains.  
  
Winnie pulls out a muggle deck of cards and deals for poker. "It's Christmas Eve. She can't stay like this forever."  
  
"I've tried everything, nothing works. Three please," I say as I return some cards. "I feel weird about going to the dance tomorrow."  
  
"I didn't even think about that," Winnie says. "I wonder if Sirius knew all along. If he did, I won't go. Hey, I've got a full house, that beats two pair."  
  
"Next game I flush you away, Frank," I say. That does not turn out to be true at all. Winnie gets three flushes, one of them a royal flush, and I don't get a single pair. At least we're not betting on the poker, which we wouldn't do, of course. "I'm going for a walk."  
  
When I reach the Common Room, I bump into Andrew Weasley.  
  
"Erm-Perry, how's Lily?" He says, not quite looking at me.  
  
"In case you haven't noticed, she's been a little upset lately. Potter asks her to dance, then goes home for the holidays. It would sure upset me."  
  
"Maybe it wasn't his fault. Maybe-"  
  
"They don't force people on the Hogwarts Express by wandpoint you know." I turn around to return to the dormitory.  
  
All of a sudden, Black comes out of nowhere and grabs me by the shoulders.  
  
"Do you have the courtesy to give anyone the time of day at all?" He barks. He lets go of me and runs up the steps to the girls' dormitories.  
  
"Hey!" I shout. "You can't go up there!" I run up after them.  
  
"Where's Evans?" Black growls as I reach the landing. "I want to talk to her."  
  
"Does Lily want to talk to you?" I demand back. This creep is best friends with the boy that has made Lily cry for five days on end. I can barely stand to look at him in the face.  
  
"Lily hasn't left the dormitory for the past five days. Do you know what 'enabling' means?"  
  
"Well you can thank your best friend, Black," I snap. Black pushes past me and to my utter shock, rips open the hangings on Lily's bed. Lily is lying there face down still in her clothes from five days ago. "Maybe in my book things are done differently, but I've always thought it rather rude to ask someone to dance then not go at all! Then you just come waltzing in here like there's no problem at all."  
  
"I wouldn't judge anything prematurely if I were you, Perry. Maybe there's something you would never even care enough to know about," Black snarls with bared teeth.  
  
"Like what, Black?" I retort.  
  
"James' mother is going to die. This is their last Christmas together," he says uncharacteristically seriously. Lily sits up very suddenly.  
  
"But-but she looked fine when I saw her in November," Lily says, wiping her eyes on her sleeves. Her face is quite red and she looks thin in an unhealthy way.  
  
Black bites his lip, "Mrs. P.'s been ill for quite a while. She did seem better than she's been in years, I'd thought she might have recovered myself. About ten days ago, after James had put his name down to stay, she began to relapse. With the bad weather, word didn't come until the morning the train was to leave. Part of him wanted to stay, the other needed to go. He was going to stay, but Dumbledore insisted. Put him on the train himself with a minute to spare. He barely had time to tell me to tell you. He didn't even pack his things."  
  
"I feel so terrible," Lily says.  
  
Black sits down next to Lily. "You didn't know. I don't blame you for being upset." I give Black a nasty look, but he doesn't respond.  
  
I crack my knuckles and say, "So now what will Lily-"  
  
All of a sudden, the door to the dormitory bursts open.  
  
"Remus?" Black says. "What is it?"  
  
Lupin looks incredulously at Lily and Black sitting on the bed, over to me standing beside them, then Winnie on the floor. "I was looking for you and found it odd that you were in the girls' dormitory ... with Lily on a . oh never mind."  
  
Black bursts out into one of him famous laughs. "I was just telling Lily about James, that's all, Remus."  
  
"Lupin, how did you know Black was in the dormitory?" I ask.  
  
"I told him. We should get going," Black says quickly. "I have some business to attend to."  
  
"Does it involve dungbombs?" I demand. "The smell is finally gone and if you think-"  
  
"It's not that, Perry. Look, if you three need anything, just tell me, alright?" With that, Black disappears down the staircase with Lupin at his heels.  
  
Lily lets out a large breath. "I feel like a complete fool. James's mum has been dying and all I can think of is how he's done for her hurts me.  
  
"But Lily, "I say firmly, "you had no way of knowing Potter's mum was ill. She seemed perfectly normal when we saw her. You shouldn't be mad at yourself for not knowing something you couldn't know."  
  
"But I should have know!" Lily exclaims. "for the past month of so, since James asked to me the dance, I thought we were really close, talking about important things. Yet in all that, he never once mentioned that his other was about to die! That's important. We just talked about rubbish."  
  
"I would hardly call-" I stop. I am about to say that talking about You- Know-Who isn't rubbish, but then Lily would know I had been spying on her and Potter.  
  
"Maybe.maybe he didn't want to talk about it," Winnie puts in softly from behind us. I'd forgotten that she was there. "My dad says that when his grandmother died, his father didn't talk about her illness because he was thinking about her all the time."  
  
"I still feel horrible," Lily says. "For the last five days, I've done absolutely nothing but cry. Even if you think it's all right, I don't. All this time, you've done little for yourselves, It's Christmas Ever, go do something fun."  
  
"Not without you Lily."  
  
* * *  
  
When I come to the next morning, I realize that Black and Potter did not really shave my head as I had so believed while I dreamt only moments before, and more importantly that it's Christmas morning.  
  
I make a sudden move to pull back the hangings so I can rouse my brother, but as my hand pulls back the corner of my canopy, candlelight spills in and I see the hangings are read, not blue like the ones at home. I'm still at Hogwarts.  
  
I realize, with a small sadness, that I wouldn't be opening presents with my family. No wonder Lily was so upset before. She is staying away from her family for naught. I should be extra nice to her today.  
  
"Is anyone awake?" a voice whispers from behing the curtains. It's Winnie.  
  
"Yes," Lily says before I can say anything, "but I think Rosa-"  
  
"I'm up," I say quickly. "No thanks to you."  
  
"Great, shall we open presents?" Winnie asks. "I've been up since three thirty."  
  
"What time do you have now? I grumble, suddenly not ready to leave the warmth of my own bed."  
  
"Erm- six forty-five," Winnie says. Lily groans. "No wait, the hour hand hasn't passed the six, so it's only quarter to."  
  
"So it's FIVE forty-five then. I'm going back to sleep," I mumble.  
  
"No you can't, it's Christmas," says Winnie. "Besides, I think this big parcel is from Sirius, and I can't stand it any longer." Figures.  
  
"Can you wait until a reasonable hour, like when the sun is up?"  
  
"No I can't," wails Winnie.  
  
"Well you're just." I want to say that she'll just have to wait, when I realize that being nice to Lily means not stressing her by being frank with Winnie. "You're just lucky it's Christmas, Winnie."  
  
I shake away my no-sleep headache and fumble back my hangings. No wonder Winnie was so keen to open presents. The are huge piles sitting at the feet of each of our respective beds, screaming to be opened.  
  
"Thanks Ros," Lily says to me quietly.  
  
I snatch up the nearest parcel and being to open it carefully as not to tear the paper.  
  
"Hey look at this!" Winnie says. She holds up a brand new beater's club. She had broken hers in the match against Ravenclaw last November. "Sirius go it from me!"  
  
"That's very thoughtful of him," I say with as little sarcasm as possible while I finish taking the paper off Donald Finch's gift, a box of Chocolate Frogs. The thing I hate most about opening presents is actually seeing what's inside. The most fun is taking off the paper, not the gift itself. Especially as I'm lactose intolerant and Chocolate Frogs have milk in them.  
  
The rest of my parcels are more satisfactory. My father bought me a package of Dragon liver. There's also a book from Lily called "Tabitha Briggs and the Impossible Task," which I have wanted to read for quite some tine, a jumper from my mum, and gobstones from my brother.  
  
"James sent me something," Lily says softly. Winnie and I watch as she slowly takes off the paper and pulls out a gold necklace with what has to be an emerald, and a letter that spans a yard of parchment. Lily lays the necklace on her bed and sits to read the letter. Winnie, who happens to be one of those people who needs to touch everyone else's things, goes quietly over to Lily's bed and picks up the necklace, stares at it for about thirty seconds, then replaces it. If I were Lily, I'd have chopped off Winnie's hand. After another minute, Lily put aside the letter and looks out the window at the darkened grounds.  
  
"Does James mention his mum?" Winnie asks.  
  
"No, it's was written before he left."  
  
***  
  
Despite the fact that my family is at home in Birmingham, and I;m not, I'd be lying if I said I had a horrid Christmas. Dinner was wonderful, and I can't imagine how I'll be able to keep anything down tonight as I'm absolutely stuffed.  
  
Lily and I have spent most of the day enjoying our presents. I finished "Tabitha Briggs and the Impossible Task." Tabitha is something called the Hogwarts Champion, and she participates in an even called the Triwizard Tournament. Supposedly, the tournament actually took place decades ago, but was cancelled because of fatalities. I think it was really cancelled because people used to cheat, except for Tabitha, who manages to win without losing her integrity.  
  
The portrait hole opens, and in walks a group of boys fresh from a snowball fight. I'm not the jumping in cold snow sort, so I didn't go. I grab Donald's box of chocolate frogs and offer them to the shivering masses. I've been trying to unload them since I can't eat any myself. Those who had not been as foolish as I at dinner accept them readily. Half the box is gone already.  
  
"Chocolate frog?" I say to the next person in the throng.  
  
"Trying to kill me, Perry?" Black says, face read from the cold.  
  
"Kill you? I haven't poisoned that chocolate, you know," I retort. "I'm being nice, doing people favors. You should try it some time."  
  
"I'll have you know I'm allergic to chocolate," Black growls.  
  
"Since when?" I ask. A few years back, Potter, Black and company had decide to barricade themselves in their dormitory by putting stacks of Honeydukes chocolate in the staircase two days before exams. No one could go in or out. It took the threat of expulsion from Filch, who had to clean the melting mess, poor soul, to get them to leave their rooms. Unfortunately, they had to lick their way out. Sirius Allergic-to- chocolate Black had been covered from head to foot in it. I'm sure more than a little went in his month as he was bouncing around the Common Room with a sugar high.  
  
"I-er," Black says, searching for an answer. I get the sense he knows something he can't say. "I just found out in my fifth year. I get really sick now, Just get those frogs away from me before I decide to become suicidal."  
  
* * *  
  
"Ros, wake up, it's nearly five o'clock," Lily pulls me out of the armchair I had fallen asleep in. "Are you going tonight or not?"  
  
I groan. I don't really want to go anywhere. The fire is so warm. I tell Lily this. "You have a date with Donald, Rosalind and you won't be breaking it," she says firmly. I mumble as I close My eyes again and I begin to finish my nap.  
  
Well some lick I have. A mere ten seconds later I am awaked by Winnie who requires no nap, even I she wakes up hours before to early in the morning.  
  
"What do you mean you aren't going?" she demands.  
  
"I believe I said I'd only go if Lily does."  
  
"Oh Rosalind, what will Donald say?" Winnie wails. "What will everyone think? You won't be able to wear your dress robes."  
  
"That's nice," I grumble. Winnie pouts behind the chair.  
  
"I thought you prided yourself on your word!" Winnie hisses suddenly. "What kind of person are you?"  
  
"I-I." I don't know what to say,'  
  
"I'll go," says a voice from the corner of the room. "Now get up Ros."  
  
* * *  
  
A veritable army awaits us as we enter our dormitory. Fortunately for Lily and me, said army really awaits just Winnie, prize date of Mr. Allegedly- Allergic-to-Chocolate. Betty and company are all gathered around her. Despite the claustrophobic feeling of it all, having fifteen girls in a five-girl dormitory does have its advantages. On one bed alone, there are collectively more lipsticks, eye shadows, rouge, powders and colored pencil things than most drug stores carry. Since the spotlight is mercifully on Winnie, Lily and I have a free run of the makeup. A plus for the mere fact that neither Lily nor I have any of our own.  
  
Lily grabs a green pencil and mirror and begins to line that part of the lower eyelid that I'd always thought needed magic to color.  
  
"Where did you learn to do that?" I ask incredulously.  
  
"Petunia," Lily says. "She's been obsessed with this rubbish for ages. Somehow that always seems to involve me."  
  
I sigh and Summon a lipstick. How hard can this be? Maybe a little harder than I thought. After two tries I get the lipstick right. No wonder stupid girls wear makeup all the time. It's actually rather easy to put on.  
  
Finally, The entourage surrounding Winnie dissipates. Now sooner is the crowd thankfully gone does Winnie send Lily to fetch something.  
  
"You've got some nerve, Rosalind Perry!" she hisses the moment Lily reaches the spiral staircase.  
  
"I believe I am keeping my word to Donald, am I not?"  
  
"I'm talking about Lily! I can't believe you're making her do this! What sort of friend do you think you are? Lily's only doing this for you. You can see it in her eyes. She doesn't want to go tonight. What are you trying to accomplish by sending her to the dance? Tell me, Rosalind."  
  
I say nothing. I should back down, but I can't. It would mean admitting I was wrong and Winnie was right, and I can't do that. Not for someone who wakes people up at quarter of six in the morning to open a present from an obnoxious boyfriend, and acts like an annoying little shadow.  
  
"The thing is, Winnie, it's just that Lily needs to eat supper too, if she wants to have strength to study for her N.E.W.T.s, and the best brain food is at the dance."  
  
"I don't believe that for a minute. The N.E.W.T.s aren't for another six months. Even you aren't that bad," says Winnie. Why can't Winnie be dim? "When Lily returns, you are going to inform her that it is unnecessary for her to attend tonight's dance."  
  
I say nothing.  
  
"Here are the owl treats you wanted," says Lily, looking rather odd holding the treat out to Winnie in formal robes. Winnie takes the treat, chucks it under her bed, then wipes her hands on her school clothes.  
  
"Rosalind has something she wants to tell you, Lily."  
  
"I'm through with my makeup," Lily looks at me and bites her lip. "I'm ready to meet Donald in the Entrance Hall. We probably should be on our way." I shoot Winnie the nasty grin that I only use on very special occasions. "Did you see Sirius in the Common Room when you went down there, Lily? He's supposed to meet Winnie by the portrait hole."  
  
Winnie brushes past Lily and I and then stalks down the spiral staircase.  
  
"Shall we go?"  
  
* * * Winnie is greeted by Sirius with all due pomp and circumstance in the Common Room. Everyone watches as they smile and exit, arm in arm, posing for photo after photo taken by the first year who fancied herself Potter's date. The younger students seem to be torn between awe at how grown-up everyone seems and jealousy at not being able to partake in the festivities. Through all her ecstatic smiling, Winnie still manages to flash me hew own version of the nasty look.  
  
"Let head down to the Entrance Hall now." I don't have anything to say as we walk down the halls in silence. I just look at the holly that lines the normally dreary hallways.  
  
When we reach the Entrance Hall it's very crowded. The doors to the Great Hall haven't been opened so people are just milling about.  
  
"It's odd not to see everyone in black," Lily remarks.  
  
"I'm beginning to think I should have had Donald meet me by the statue of Gregory the Smarmy," I say as I look down the marble staircase at the hoards of people. Black and Winnie are chatting with a pack of admirers.  
  
"Why, so you can sneak out of the castle to play in the snow?" Lily says with a small chuckle as we walk out into the crowd.  
  
"Sneak out of the school?"  
  
"There's a passage out of the building near there. James showed it to me." Lily looks down at her boots. Maybe I shouldn't have made her come after all. I shiver as I feel a huge draft from the opening of the oaken outside doors. "Can't they keep that closed? It's freezing out. Some people just have no-" I break off.  
  
"No what, Rosalind?"  
  
I can't get the words out, so I just point.  
  
"It's James!"  
  
a/n Sincerest apologies for not publishing during the school year. The next chapter should be up before book five comes out. How's that for a deadline? 


	13. The Really Long Dinner Conversation, par...

Noel Night, Chapter 13  
  
I can't believe my eyes. What's Potter doing here? Lily doesn't really seem to care, as she's knocked him straight to the floor. I try to make my way through to the crowd now surrounding the two, but someone pulls me back.  
  
"Rosalind?" It's Donald.  
  
"Hello," I say, a bit started. "You know, James Potter's here."  
  
"Well, of course he is here, what would you expect?" Donald growls. "Let's go to the doors so that we can get a good table." Before I can protest, he steers me away from Lily and Potter and toward the doors to the Great Hall.  
  
When the doors open about a minute later, almost no one goes inside the Great Hall. Even though I had only eaten lunch there about six hours ago, it seems as though I'm in a completely different room. The four long house tables have completely dematerialized, like they did for our O.W.L.S., but instead of square writing desks, many round tables have appeared. New decorations have replaced the perfectly elegant ones that graced the hall at lunch. I wonder who put them up? Usually the prefects decorate the Hall in the first place, and that takes hours.  
  
"Here is perfect," Donald says. We stop at the table closest to the teachers' table, which has not been moved.  
  
Donald sits down, and I grab the chair to his right.  
  
"So," he says.  
  
"Yes?" I say after about ten seconds of silence.  
  
"Nothing." Oh dear. I should probably say something.  
  
"Thanks for the chocolate frogs, Donald."  
  
"I'm glad you liked them. I got them at a discount," he replies. More silence.  
  
"They were delicious," I lie.  
  
I can't think of anything else to say, so we just sit them, staring at one another.  
  
After what seems like an eternity, two more guests. It's Lestrange, and his girlfriend, the one I met after the school had been dungbombed, walk in together. They sit down at the table right beside the door, farthest from Donald and me, and begin to kiss. As disgusting as it is, I can't keep my eyes off them. I try to bat down the urge to tell them off. It's just a dance, they can do this. Besides, if I told them off, I'd probably wake up with an affliction nastier than the ones Snape gets after a fight with Black and Potter.  
  
Lestrange and his girl stop kissing, anyway. Lestrange turns his head to look into the Great Hall. His eyes widen as a drove of people run, shrieking, into the hall.  
  
"What's going on?" Donald asks.  
  
"I dunno," I say, "but I don't fancy getting up to take a look."  
  
More shrieks echo into the Hall as it fills with more people. I can hear some crashes and a splash.  
  
"There they are!" exclaims a voice. It's Betty the sixth year, followed by Remus Lupin. He pulls out her chair, then sits down himself. Donald didn't do that.  
  
"Peeves is making quite some ruckus out there," says Lupin with a smile.  
  
"Aren't they doing something about it?" I ask. "You're a prefect."  
  
"The best thing for everyone to do is duck," Lupin says with a sigh. Betty puts her arm around him. "I think Professor McGonagall went for the Bloody Baron, so things should settle down."  
  
"Why did Dumbledore even let that Poltergeist in the school?" Donald fumes.  
  
Lupin shrugs, "He needed somewhere to go, I guess."  
  
"Well that somewhere shouldn't have been Hogwarts," snaps Donald. "He's ransacked the place."  
  
"He can't very well haunt the Ministry, or a place like St. Mungo's," Lupin says thoughtfully. "Imagine how stuffy this place would be without him."  
  
"Not at all stuffy," mutters Donald coldly.  
  
"Remus!" shouts Black who suddenly appears behind me, Winnie in tow. He's about ten feet away. "Long time no see!"  
  
"How long has it been, two minutes?" Lupin asks lightly.  
  
"Far too long, Mr. Mooney, far too long. This must be the famous Betty Winterbourne... Ah, Miss Perry, I should have known." Black gives a deep curtsy in his long robes. I can't help but laugh. Black breaks into a large grin, one that reaches his eyes, then spots Donald. He extends his and hand says, "Finchy old pal, I see you've got your hands full." Donald doesn't extend his. Hand, that is.  
  
No sooner do Winnie and Black take their seats then Lily and Potter come and sit beside them.  
  
"So," Donald says. No one says anything. Black looks pointedly at Potter, asking a question with his eyes. Potter moves his hands in a way reminiscent of the way he did when Veronica was on his lap. Black nods, but looks a bit put out, so I don't think Potter actually told him what he wanted. A crash comes from the Entrance Hall.  
  
"I thought you went home for Christmas," I say to Potter. Black's eyebrows raise and he shrugs his shoulders. I think I asked his question.  
  
"Yes, I did. But when I told my mum about the dance, she said I had to come back," Potter explains slowly.  
  
"How is she doing?" Black asks.  
  
"Not well," Potter looks down at the place setting before him and runs a thin finger along the folded cloth napkin. Black bites his lip.  
  
"Where's Peter?" Lupin asks suddenly.  
  
"I didn't see him in the Great Hall," Black says thoughtfully. "Damn good thing too," he adds as another huge crash come from the Entrance Hall.  
  
"It's Bedlam out there," says Lily. "I wouldn't want to get stuck in the Hall right now. Peeves is levitating this big bunch of water balloons and trying to knock them out with an ever-bashing boomerang. He's the worst shot I've ever seen."  
  
"He can hit anything he wants to, Lily, believe me" Black cuts in.  
  
"I hope Peter got held up in the Common Room," says Remus.  
  
"Hey, imagine trying to get dressed with Snivellus lurking around. Now that would be embarrassing," Black laughs.  
  
"He does it everyday, Sirius," Winnie says.  
  
"Remind me to give the Sorting Hat a hug for not putting me in Slytherin with him the next time I see it," says Black. "Poor Peter, how can he live like that? I guess he's braver than I ever gave him credit for."  
  
"Speaking of Peter, Sirius, does he have a date?" Potter says in a lowered voice. Lily and I exchange dark looks.  
  
"Well, he does but-" Black breaks off, unsure of what to say.  
  
"It's Veronica, Potter," I say, sparing him.  
  
As horrible as he can be with people he doesn't like, I have to give Potter credit for being a gentleman. His face fell, but he didn't curse, or start screaming. I wouldn't have. He just said, "good for him," though not too enthusiastically.  
  
"So," Donald says.  
  
"Yes, Donald?" I ask. He says nothing. I turn to Lily and say, "What do you think of the decorations?"  
  
"They're amazing." She looks toward the fairy lights. "Are those real fairies?"  
  
"Yep," says Black. "I hate to be a spoilsport, but the same ones go up every year- or at least for the past three. I think it's a tradition, though."  
  
"How do you know that?" Winnie asks.  
  
"Oh, some girls asked me to go in my fourth, fifth and sixth year, so I guess this is my fourth Noël Night," says Black.  
  
"I didn't know that," Winnie says, a little surprised. I didn't know that either, but it doesn't surprise me at all. I can see some seventeen year-old asking out fourteen year-old Sirius Black. He was certainly formidable enough then. I wonder what kind of shock she got when he started throwing food or something equally heinous?  
  
"Hello, Jamesie," Veronica. I notice with delight that she is soaking wet. "There's a big-bad ruckus out there."  
  
"Peeves does that sometimes," Potter's smile doesn't quite reach his eyes, but his voice shows zero trace of bitterness or sarcasm. "Makes things more memorable, doesn't it."  
  
"Oh, tonight is a night I won't be forgetting for a long, long time," she smiles, then turn around sharply, flicking the water from her hair in Potter's plate. He cleans it with her napkin. Pettigrew finally arrives at the table, soaked and breathing in and out rather rapidly. A giant red mark on his face betrays a run-in with an ever-bashing boomerang. He scurries over to the chair beside Remus and pulls it out for her. Even Pettigrew. Sheesh.  
  
But instead of sitting down beside her, he scurries back to Potter, who whispers something in his ear. Pettigrew returns to Veronica, and says "sechify!"  
  
A small flame comes out of his wand tip, burning a hole in the white linen table cloth. Potter makes a waving motion with his hand, and Pettigrew tries again. This time Veronica is completely dry. He sits down, himself, still sopping wet.  
  
"So," says Donald.  
  
"Hi, Donald," Pettigrew says friendly-like. Veronica scowls as if she can't believe he's here. Jerk.  
  
Menus begin to appear at everyone's places. I've seen this before, at my aunt's brother's wedding. You say what you want to eat; the people in the kitchen magically hear what you say, and then your food. It's not my favorite way to dine. Everything has to be pre-cooked, so if your choice is underappreciated, the food is cold. I take a peak at the menu. Why does fine dining always have to be associated with disgusting foods? IF it were me, fancy restaurants would serve Honeydukes' best chocolate as an entrée, not frogs' legs. It appears our table will be ordering last. Good, maybe there's something that I like here.  
  
"How about the venison, Prongs," asks Black as he reaches behind Winnie to nudge Potter. He has a wicked grin on his face. Lupin and Pettigrew snigger.  
  
"No, that's absolutely disgusting," says Potter resolutely. He looks rather green. "Please- no one order the venison."  
  
"But it looks rather good," I protest. So, far, it's the only appetizing thing on the menu.  
  
"Please don't." For the second time tonight, his smooth attitude is gone. He looks like he is going to be sick. "I just don't like the idea of eating deer."  
  
"I didn't think you were a vegetarian, James," Lily says.  
  
"I'm not, it's just deer."  
  
Lily bursts out laughing, joining in Black, Lupin and Pettigrew who haven't been able to talk since Potter's request.  
  
"It's really not that funny." Potter seems rather lost in the gale of laughter.  
  
Lily grins at him, "I never knew you were such an old softie."  
  
"Huh?" "Bambi, you've seen Bambi."  
  
"Erm-yeah," Potter looks a little puzzled but he just smiles and nods.  
  
"What's Bambi?" asks Black, bewildered. I have no idea what Lily is talking about.  
  
"A Muggle film, came out years ago. It's about this deer and it's really very sad when this hunter comes and kills Bambi's-"  
  
"Lily," says Remus, I don't think anyone here knows what a 'film' is."  
  
"Well, it's a movie, sort of like the telly, didn't you take Muggle Studies, Remus? Anyway, lots of people go into this room with lots of chairs- you pay to get in- they all sit down in front of a screen and watch a performance Muggles made. It gets put on the screen, like a moving picture."  
  
"You mean to say they train paintings?" I ask. "I thought Muggle paintings stay still."  
  
"They do," Lily bites her lip, thinking hard. "They have a projector, though I'm not entirely sure how it works. I just give them my money and walk in. Muggle pictures don't move, see. So they take a big bunch of photos put them all in a line, and move them through at about twenty-four pictures per second, I think."  
  
"Wouldn't everything happen really fast?" asks Black. He was able to follow that?  
  
"No, there are just lots of pictures, they time it perfectly. What matters is that it's an excellent way to spend your Saturday afternoons," Lily says with a smile.  
  
"Is it expensive?" I ask.  
  
"No, but I don't know the price anymore, ten pence maybe. It keeps going up, and I haven't been in ages. Oh, it's about a couple of sickles," she adds as she sees out confused faces.  
  
"We should go together sometime," says Potter.  
  
"All right then," says Lily. Did she just agree to go on another date with him?  
  
"I think it's our turn to order," says Winnie. She clears her throat, then says what she wants.  
  
It's Black's turn now. He grins at the menu, then says, "I'd like the fried ducky, fancy frogs' legs, mashed tators, peaky peas and some mint humbugs."  
  
I looked down at my menu, bewildered. There are four choices on it and the duck, frogs' legs, potatoes, and peas are all part of a separate meal. I can't find the humbugs anywhere. He'd definitely not supposed to do that, but somehow Black gets what he wants. When I order, I won't be such a pain.  
  
"Rosalind?" Donald pokes me a little too hard, "it's your turn."  
  
"Right I say, "Venis-no no not that filet mignon!" Venison appears on my plate for a split second, only to be replaced by steak moments later. So much for that. The ordering continues around the table. Everyone but Veronica abstains from the venison. Potter pointedly avoids looking at Veronica. Does it bother him it that much? He probably planned it so he'd have an excuse not to look at her. I wonder if he has a moral stance against certain desserts too.  
  
"So," says Donald.  
  
***  
  
Author's Note: The really long dinner conversation will be continued soon, I promise. 


End file.
